Quitsato Sundial

Quitsato Sundial
Panoramic view of Quitsato Sundial located exactly at Equator. Because of its design, the shadow projected by the gnomon on the dial lines can indicate solstices, equinoxes, and also months of the year with great precision.
General information
Type	Sundial
Address	La Mitad Del Mundo
Town or city	Cayambe
Country	Ecuador
Opened	2006
Inaugurated	2007
Dimensions
Diameter	54 m
Technical details
Floor area	2300 m²

Coordinates: 00°00′00″N 78°10′30″W / 0.00000°N 78.17500°W / 0.00000; -78.17500

The Quitsato Sundial is a cultural-tourist place located at La Mitad Del Mundo, near to Cayambe, 47 km at North of Quito. It was built in 2006 and inaugurated in 2007 as an independent, non-profit project in a 24756 ft² (2300 m²) area. Its main goal is to share crucial aspects of the astronomical knowledge of the prehispanic cultures of the region. The expositions are carried out by community members as a self-sustaining project. According to Google Maps, the central pillar is 4 meters below the true equator.

It consists of a circular platform of 177.64 ft (54 m) in diameter which forms a mosaic of light and dark pebbles drawing an eight-pointed star that indicates the solstices and equinoxes, plus intermediate lines pointing to the cardinal directions. In the center of this platform there is a 10 m (32.80 ft) and 1.30 m (4.27 ft) diameter cylindrical orange tube which serves as a gnomon, pointing to the corresponding hours and months of the year in the platform according to the shadow cast by the Sun. The ten meter high gnomon represents the metric system, based in the meter which in its beginning was intended to be the result of one ten-millionth of Earth's quadrant. The aim of the color difference between the stones, apart from showing equinox and solstice lines, is to explain the meaning of albedo and its use in astronomical study. The Equator line is drawn by using smaller, darker pebbles between two metal plates.