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Chicago skyline from a beach in Indiana (xpost from r/pics) (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by nzeeshan

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[–]pecamash 94 points95 points ago

Ok, let's do this:

The building on the left is obviously the Sears Tower and the building on the right is obviously the Hancock. I'm reasonably sure that clump in the middle is some combination of the Aon Center and Trump Tower. That means the line of site for sunset (assuming that we're close enough to sunset here that the sun is going straight down) falls somewhere in the near north side. For convenience, I'll take it to go through the mouth of the river. Also assuming this picture was taken yesterday, the azimuth of sunset was at 301 degrees (i.e. 31 degrees north of west). Reverse that direction by 180 degrees = 121 degrees and follow the line of site to the Indiana coast and we get:

Here Close-up on the endpoint

[–]Ali921South Loop 36 points37 points ago

We need to find you a girl, mate.

[–]pecamash 49 points50 points ago

I don't know what you're talking about. Ladies are all about a rigorous methodology.

[–]CalamitousD 3 points4 points ago

He's right. I'm all a flutter.

[–]solidwhetstoneWorks in the Loop 2 points3 points ago

Assuming a) it's a guy, b) he's straight, and c) doesn't already have a girl.

[–]Ali921South Loop 10 points11 points ago

He/She can always go for another one. The more the merrier.

[–]solidwhetstoneWorks in the Loop 7 points8 points ago

Can't argue with that logic.

[–]FromMichigan 0 points1 point ago

The more we get together, the happier we'll be

[–]Curdflappers 0 points1 point ago

or a) she's a girl b) she's homosexual, and c) doesn't already have a girl.

[–]BirdsTheWurd 1 point2 points ago

Tony?

[–]Allthefunny 1 point2 points ago

I knew where this was, I live right in the area and can confirm that this is probably right around where the picture was taken.

[–]dogfacedboy420 0 points1 point ago

I pretty much knew this from looking at the photo as I am very familiar with this area growing up nearby. Spent a lotta time on the Dunes at Lake Michigan.

[–]CanGreenBeret 0 points1 point ago

Can we use the distance between two towers, and the known height of one to determine the angle more accurately?

[–]pecamash 8 points9 points ago

This made me think, but here's my answer: First, anything to do with the heights of the buildings is going to be complicated because at that point you have to take into account the curvature of the earth, since we're not seeing the full buildings in this picture. There's a way around that though. The angular diameter of the sun is roughly 0.5 degrees, which if we count pixels, we can use to calculate the angular distance between the Sears and the Hancock. I get 2.47 degrees. Also, from Google Earth, the line from the Sears to the Hancock is 1.5 miles long at a heading of 24.83 degrees. Now (I think) we have to make some simplifying assumptions -- 1) assume that our line of site is perpendicular to the baseline between the two buildings and 2) assume that the angle is small enough that we can treat all points on the baseline as effectively the same distance away. (The angle is definitely small, and based on the earlier estimate, the first assumption isn't too bad either, so I think we're ok.) Then with some trigonometry magic we can find that using the Sears as a point of reference, the picture was taken from 34.8 miles away at a heading of 114.83 degrees.

Here is the new position I calculate, about 3 miles east of the first estimate. Not bad, I say.

[–]arrowsamaBronzeville 11 points12 points ago

I'm here with a rebuttal ;)

By my measurements, Google Earth says that the distance between the two towers is 2461m and wikipedia says that the difference in heights (highest architectural point) is 442 - 394 = 98m

Measuring on the image, we see that the distance between buidlings is of 794px and the difference in heights is about 35px. Assuming that we're far enough so that the we see the whole tower at the same angle, we can get that the distance seen between the towers from the photo is of 2223m.

Now we just search for the angle in which the projection of the line between the two towers is 2223m and we get the angle from which the photo was taken relative to the direct line between the two towers (1º). Add to it the angle between North and that line (26º), add 90º because we are looking for the perpendicular and we get 117º.

I think that we're close enough so that the difference might be a different measured pixel, but we can at least point to a single beach

[–]pecamash 3 points4 points ago

That's really clever. The whole projected distance thing is what I couldn't figure out how to deal with so I assumed it was negligible. I think you're right, though.

[–]jeswealotu 0 points1 point ago

Bravo! I am more impressed by this than the feeling of inadequacy.

[–]BKDX -1 points0 points ago

Yay Indiana!

[–]bogart1 18 points19 points ago

original: http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/whbly/photo_i_took_of_the_chicago_skyline_from_a_beach/

[–]steakmaneLincoln Park 31 points32 points ago

also top comment: "That must be torture--having to live in Indiana while you can see civilization."

[–]GrossoGGO 8 points9 points ago

Any picture that reminds us that the Earth is in fact spherical is a great picture.

[–]pecamash 8 points9 points ago

Oblate spheroid, technically, but I'll take it.

[–]TheMinister2811 2 points3 points ago

Nerd Alert!

[–]in-gen-urdLittle Italy 7 points8 points ago

Fuck this made my friday already. What a beautiful shot.

[–]Willy2shirts 2 points3 points ago

New wallpaper! Thanks!

[–]fh3011Northbrook 2 points3 points ago

I used to vacation in New Buffalo, MI (just a few miles north of the border) and we could see 3 towers from chicago sticking up off the lake surface: Sears, Aon and Hancock. We did see trump when it was still under construction.

[–]Zackismet 2 points3 points ago

Man, I remember seeing this all the time on my way to the Dunes as a kid... I haven't been there in forever.

[–]Choiboy525 1 point2 points ago

<sigh> I miss home...

[–]shapedyOak Park 1 point2 points ago

I bet you could calculate exactly where it was taken using the relative locations of three buildings.

[–]GasMan37 0 points1 point ago

Whihala Beach?

[–]cdthoms 1 point2 points ago

nice! i was at montrose beach yesterday and the sunset was pretty freaking gorgeous looking northwest through the uptown/edgewater highrises. this picture just does our beautiful city even more justice.

[–]Zombette 2 points3 points ago

That magical place is called ”Chicago”.

[–]crackyJsquirrel 1 point2 points ago

I feel like an asshole. Lived in Chicago my whole life and have never seen the skyline against a sunset. Pretty awesome.

[–]wizzy453 1 point2 points ago

Miller beach? Looks to clear to be the National Lakeshore.

[–]Sir_Win 1 point2 points ago

Portage beach. Looks about right to be that one.

[–]TabascoQuesadilla 0 points1 point ago

And too close to be Michigan City.

[–]ZeroKielNorth Chicago 0 points1 point ago

I just got a wicked sunburn in Miller last weekend!

[–]myripyro 1 point2 points ago

Is this perhaps near the Indiana Dunes?

I remember seeing a very similar sight when I visited there a bit ago - a nice place to go.

[–]amphigoryglory 1 point2 points ago

This beach is close to where I live. It's pretty surreal seeing the skyline out in the ocean.

[–]johncer 0 points1 point ago

that cant be whiting?

[–]GryffindorG33k 0 points1 point ago

beautiful!

[–]SlumberCat 0 points1 point ago

I've been out there and OH MY GOSH.

[–]-Antrix-Lake View 0 points1 point ago

That's brilliant to this day I always wondered how the view was from the other side.

[–]TheSurgeMeister 0 points1 point ago

Beautiful! Chicago is an awesome city! Can't imagine living anywhere else.

[–]FTWgirl 1 point2 points ago

Thanks for my new desktop photo :D

[–]lennonleninlemon 0 points1 point ago

Is this West Beach or Porter Beach? I used to live right by this view

[–]grandoiseau 0 points1 point ago

this is a work of art. bravo.

[–]GasMan37 0 points1 point ago

Whihala I'm guessing. Looks close enough.

[–]rcj66 0 points1 point ago

The real Gotham City.

[–]CalamitousD 0 points1 point ago

Wow that's a gorgeous view.

[–]jokulhlaup 0 points1 point ago

excellent shot! nice work!

[–]shammwow 0 points1 point ago

Seeing this irl almost would make it worth going to Indiana.

[–]VikingIV 0 points1 point ago

In Waterworld... you have found hope!

[–]queenofthecourt 0 points1 point ago

indianans obviously don't understand what a beach is

[–]Ali921South Loop -1 points0 points ago

Here is a close-up I took on Monday. Wonder if OP took his picture on Monday as well. That would be cool.

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