LDS Buildings in Lubbock
December 22nd, 2006 by John Mansfield
Any better title suggestions? From this angle, they match their surroundings rather well. I particularly like the color and shading of the stake center roof and those of all the surrounding houses.
Judging from the statue’s shadow, if my calculations are correct, this was at 9:10 AM, give or take six minutes, on a March 15, give or take three days.
Image source: Google Maps
Interesting post. Particularly your calculation of the approximate date and time of the photograph.
My question: couldn’t the photograph have been taken a few days after the autumnal equinox–say six or seven–at the same time of day. The sun would be in the same relative position at that time, wouldn’t it?
And I can’t see anyting in the photo that would suggest whether the season was late winter/early spring or late summer/early fall.
Do you live there? My old house is in this picture…
Mark B., September 29, twenty minutes later, is also possible for the shadow position. I think it is mid-March rather than late September because there are many trees with bare branches.
Veritas, no, the closest I’ve been to Lubbock is driving through Amarillo and visiting relatives in Hobbs. The Lubbock Temple was announced a month after they had returned from dedication of the Albuquerque Temple.
Beautiful.
Thanks, John. I went to Google maps and zoomed in closer, where I could see the bare trees. Good sleuthing.
But, I would think that you would need the following data to make your calculations:
1. The height of the steeple (relative to the spot where the shadow ends); and
2. The exact orientation of the streets. Can Google be trusted to orient their maps/photographs to true North?
Anything else?
Ahhhh … I miss it! *Sniff!* (We just moved from there a few months ago….)
RCH, I’m glad to provide a reminder of the old country.
Mark B., yes, I am depending on the Google map being aligned with north. If it is within 1 degree of true, then my estimate range will be good. I found the height stated on the family website of some Texans who took lots of photos of the construction. The Gmap Pedometer, which I used to measure horizontal distances, can also show topography. There’s about a one foot drop from the temple to the tip of the spire’s shadow.
I had all this and more written up in a comment with URL links a few hours ago, but I forgot that links aren’t allowed on the site presently, which can be a real irritation.
I came upon this particular view while preparing a little project coming next week. I hope some will find it interesting.
John,
Cool stuff!
Merry Christmas to you, Elizabeth, and the little guy/girl on the way.
Look forward to your post next week.
John,
Thanks. Great stuff.
Merry Christmas.