I decided to follow the meme (post #1, post #2) of posting Google Maps and MSN Live maps of your home.  I spent a little time pondering the security implications of this, and then ultimately figured that it’d be fine as I’m not disclosing my address or anything. 

So, first the Google Maps picture of our little plot

Then the MSN Live picture, which i find to be superior in quality and “youth”

We had a driveway put in a few years back and you can see that on the MSN Live picture, so that tells me it’s more up to date.  Also, I find I can zoom in a little more on MSN Live and can actually see the little toy sandbox with umbrella we had out there for Jaden some time back…

The Ford Explorer is also there for our viewing convenience.

Now what I *don’t* understand is the shadows.  The MSN Live map shows the shadows correctly – and I can tell that this was taken mid-morning since the Sun rises in the East, the shadows are to the West.  In between that umbrella and the house we have a small deck that we can sit on and read, and it’s nice because it’s so cool in the mornings, and not until noon or sometimes after do we get sun on the deck itself.

However, the Google Maps picture shows the shadows going NORTH.  Maybe it was at a time in the year when the ecliptic is lower than the equator, giving our house a shadow to the north instead of straight up-and-down.  Obviously the sun was not directly overhead because our house has a pretty long shadow going towards the north. 

Any astronomers out there want to guess what month that our latitude (Austin, TX is 30 deg north) would have that kind of shadow during midday?