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The Sion astronomical clock is an
The Sion astronomical clock is an astronomical clock
An astronomical clock, horologium, or orloj is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets.
Definition
...
at the town hall of Sion
Sion may refer to
* an alternative transliteration of Zion
People
* Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name
Plac ...
in the canton of Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...
, Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. The clock was first installed in 1667–68; the present mechanism dates from 1902.
The clock has five dials: on the two lateral sides of the clock tower, there are 12-hour dials. The principal dial on the front of the tower indicates, from the outer to the inner ring:
* the hours, on a chapter ring numbered I to XII twice, indicated by a double-ended fleur-de-lys hand;
* the signs of the zodiac;
* the months;
* the minutes, indicated by an arrow hand.
The position of the Sun in the zodiac and the month are both indicated by a hand with a golden sun. The other end of this hand, with a star, indicates the constellation which passes through the meridian
Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to
Science
* Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon
* ...
at Sion in the middle of the night.
The two smaller dials underneath the principal dial indicate the day of the week, represented by an illustration of its classical deity, and the lunar phase
Concerning the lunar month of ~29.53 days as viewed from Earth, the lunar phase or Moon phase is the shape of the Moon's directly sunlit portion, which can be expressed quantitatively using areas or angles, or described qualitatively using the t ...
by means of a rotating moon ball.
References
{{coord, 46.23378, 7.36061, format=dms, type:landmark_region:CH, display=title Clock towers in Switzerland Astronomical clocks in Switzerland Sion, Switzerland Buildings and structures in Valais