A sundial is compased of a base, which is usually either vertical or horizontal, the gnomone, which is the object that casts the shadow, and the plate, which is what the shadow falls on. There are lines on the plate of the sundial which portray the hours or time of the day, and the plate is usually either cylindrical or box shaped. Thousands of sundials are displayed in museums around the world. However, the most common sight of sundials today is in gardens. They are used to accent flower beds and bushes.
Sundials are beautiful and enduring, and one of the most important historic factors of time.