Molson Hart

Can shadows on a sundial go clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the time of day? In the northern hemisphere, the sun is below a building casting a shadow, so when the earth rotates "east", the shadow starts at around 9 AM and finishes around 3 pm. Shadow went clockwise.

In the southern hemisphere, the sun is above a building casting a shadow. If you're observing this from the sun, the earth rotates to the right. The shadow starts at around 9 AM and finishes around 3 pm. Shadow went counterclockwise.

It turns out that, if you are near the equator, at certain times of the year, because of the tilt on the earth's axis, you seasonally (i.e. winter/summer) can go from counterclockwise shadows to clockwise shadows and vice versa.

So, for example, if you're in Caracas, Venezuela (north of the equator). For most of the year your shadows go clock wise, but during the peak of summer the earth tilts you down below the median of the sphere and you end up "below the sun" giving you counterclockwise shadows.