Bill,
The posting date for that article was April 1. I honestly don't know if that
means that it's intended as a joke or not. The photo has been making the
rounds on the Internet for quite a while - with people speculating about its
origins.
I'm also leary of the claim made at the end: 'Next week, the conclusion of
Fitzpatrick's work, including the location (on the picture) of a "full-sized
steam-belching locomotive!" '
But if it is just a hoax, it seems that they've put a good deal of effort into
it. I haven't put as much effort into examining their result!
Fred
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill CS.Com
To: Sundial-List
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 1:20 PM
Subject: Mistake in "Shadows in a Photograph"
There is an error in this report--either by the reporter, or the photo
analyst. The report states "Since South Eighth Street (then Griffith Street)
runs north-south, the shadows point almost exactly east-west. There are only
two days in the year when this occurs - the spring equinox (March 19-20) and
the fall equinox (Sept. 22-23). "
This is not true. In the northern hemisphere, a shadow will fall along an
exact east/west line every day between the spring and fall equinox (positive
sun declination), but at a different time day-to-day. On the equinox a shadow
falls exactly east/west only at sunrise or sunset, so in fact this photo could
not possibly have been taken on an equinox. What the reporter or analyst may
have meant to say was that the tip of a shadow will trace an east/west line
over the course of the day on the equinox, but this would not help his photo
interpretation.
-Bill Gottesman
----- Original Message -----
From: Fred Sawyer
To: Sundial List
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 12:27 PM
Subject: shadows in a photograph
Another fascinating example of detective work using shadows in a photograph:
http://www.sheboygan-press.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070401/SHE04/704010376/1097/SHElife
Fred Sawyer
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