Sun Angles - new feature on MP

I've added a "Sun Angles" feature to the maps on MP.  You can toggle them on and see the angle of the sun on the rock for anywhere on earth, for any day, for any hour.  For example, the screenshot below shows the sun on the base routes of El Cap in mid September.

• The line direction indicates the sun's angle on the horizon
• The line length is proportional to it's height (and roughly its intensity)
• The lines and times update as you move the map or change the date
• Times are shown in the local time zone
• Local topography (or trees, etc) are not accounted for (so a cliff in a deep canyon with a low angle sun could be shady all day, for example)

The hope is this will help us avoid (or find) sun for a specific rock face.  I've been testing it for a while (trying to avoid sun this summer) and it's been good at letting me know when the sun is oblique enough to the rock face that it's no longer too hot.

https://www.mountainproject.com/map (or click on the map on any area page)

This is really cool! Thank you 

cool feature!

Nicely done! I'll try it out.

Just noticed this. Thanks, great feature!

Rock!

we love you nick

Awesome work

Nick for presidente

Sick trick, thanks.

Brilliant Nick! Thanks

When I proposed a “which way does the cliff face” thing (ie sun aspect) a year or two ago there was some vocal crusties wanking about “hike out there and get the info yourself.”  I’m glad this feature  has made it to the site. Thanks Nick.

Excellent new feature, deserving of a front page announcement so people will know it exists.

JFM wrote: When I proposed a “which way does the cliff face” thing (ie sun aspect) a year or two ago there was some vocal crusties wanking about “hike out there and get the info yourself.”  I’m glad this feature  has made it to the site. Thanks Nick.

It is still a good suggestion because for smaller and very steep cliffs, you can't see the wall facing from the map. 

So, in those cases, this new feature doesn't help, at least not yet. Seems like a tricky thing to add, as it might require some sort of input box for the user to enter the wall orientation, and then maybe an arrow or something that superimposes on the map.  

around peak of summer, like right now, the sun crosses the sky nearly directly overhead much of the day, as shown by sun arrows having long tails.  many less-than-vertical north facing walls for example would actually have sun shining down its face the entire day, even tho arrows with long tails indicate sun only on its south facing backside for the middle majority of day.  should take note whenev arrow tails are extra long, bec instd of "indicated" shade, the slight angle that side of the rock inclines at might just allow it to stay in the sun the whole day

helpful feature.  i use it often