the ‘eye of time’ sculpture. university of leicester.

EYE OF TIME designed by allan mills. it is an analemma calendar that uses a small aperture to shine a spot of sunlight that marks out a figure of eight along which the date throughout the year can be marked. (photo taken at 11:49 GMT on 05-12-2009). the university believes the design to be unique, although it is one that most closely resembles the ‘sunstone’ on zennor hill which could be prehistoric in origin. this also projects the rays of the sun across its main surface which is inclined slightly off the vertical and set north-south (photo 31 August 2014 at 11:10GMT). In astronomy, an analemma is a diagram showing the position of the sun in the sky, as seen from a fixed location on earth at the same mean solar time, as that position varies over the course of a year. the analemma has been projected onto the floors of buildings using a small oculus set in its south facing wall. the axis it traces is also oriented north-south. it is typically used to calculate the timing of the equinoxes and the solstices.