In looking at my photo from the other day, and my guess that the mountain in the second photograph was Mt. San Jacinto, I decided to use a little detective work to figure out what mountain it is.
Of course, I could probably just look on a map and guess, but that's not as fun, and directions and distances can be deceiving. Serendipitously, my shadow was pointing straight towards the mountain in the photograph.
The facts I gathered, some extraneous and not needed (and correct I hope!):
I was in a park that is about 34 degrees north latitude.
The photograph was taken a few days before the winter wolstice (we'll call it close enough).
The sun is hovering over 23.43 degrees south latitude at the winter solstice (the Tropic of Capricorn).
The sunset "travels" at 1041.67 miles-per-hour at the equator ("slower" as you go north).
The maximum amplitude of the sun for this latitude is 28 degrees north/south (according to: The Essential Wilderness Navigator, by David Seidman and Paul Cleveland). This means that the greatest difference from a true west sunset (270 degrees) at this latitude is 28 degrees.
Mt. San Jacinto is east-southeast of here, about 100 degrees. Can I rule it out?
Stay tuned for the answer.
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