About Us
AION is a small, independently operated design studio based in Colorado, USA. We have several years of experience in commercial 3D printing projects, patentable engineering solutions, CAD modeling, design for manufacturability, jewelry making and horology. Moondial is our first commercial breakthrough fully owned and operated by us. All of our passion for astronomy, design, and engineering is behind this exciting and innovative product.
Past Projects of AION
Why MOONDIAL?
For time immemorial, humans have basked in the glory of the Moon. Monuments were built in its honor. Spiritual and agricultural practices aligned with its changing cycles. Ancient astronomers obsessively tracked its movements… Us earthlings have always sought the source of its mysterious magic and influence on our lives.
Stonehenge was revealed to be the most ancient lunar observatory in human history
The oldest lunar phase indicator is the Antikythera Mechanism (see below). It was discovered in an ancient shipwreck off the coast of a Greek island of the same name. Regarded as the earliest known example of an analog computer, this primeval device displayed the position and phase of the Moon with a surprising level of astronomical accuracy. As the saying goes, “There’s nothing new under the Sun”. The same awe and wonder that inspired the creation of that extraordinary mechanism drives this project as well.
Moondial has been several years in the making. What started as an obsession with moon gazing, turned into a study of its effect on human psychology, ancient civilizations, mathematical cosmic relationships and natural phenomena like tides and eclipses. (Did you know the Sun and Moon have the same apparent size when viewed from Earth? This is due to each celestial body's average distance from Earth being 108 [a sacred number] times their respective diameters. The odds of this occurring are truly astronomical and is what allows for the life-changing experience of a total solar eclipse!)
From the 2017 "Great American Eclipse"
All of this was the fuel to spend countless hours over the span of a decade to learn about the history and science of the Moon and to artfully simulate its enchanting beauty with MOONDIAL!