Sundial

This sundial comprises two intersecting bronze semicircles with a slim rod that casts shadows to show the current time during daylight hours. The structure functions as an equatorial dial, where different sections of the gnomon track time throughout the year.

The artwork was commissioned in 1980 by the B.F. Ferguson Monument Fund to honor the 500th anniversary of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus's birth. This was a recognition of scientific legacy and astronomy's contribution to human understanding.

Artist Henry Moore created this work titled 'Man Enters the Cosmos' as part of Chicago's public art collection by the waterfront. The bronze semicircles reflect the connection between human curiosity and the movements of the cosmos.

The sundial sits outside the Adler Planetarium and is easily accessible on foot. A plaque on site offers guidance on adjusting time calculations for Earth's axial tilt and reading the dial correctly.

This is a working artwork that invites visitors to actually read the time rather than simply admire it as decoration. This dual function as both artistic creation and functional timekeeping tool makes it unusual among public art installations.

Location: Chicago

Inception: 1980

Creator: Henry Moore

Made from material: bronze

GPS coordinates: 41.86626,-87.60737

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:40