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I think it was called a match box......back in the day ....
Do pilots ever see the curvature of the earth from high altitudes? If so, how do they react?
Good morning hopper. You’re killing my buzz…We’ve all seen this photograph or one like it and were told that it proves that the Earth is flat. When I went to high school, geometry was an elective that I took, but many did not, so I understand that many seeing this photo do not know geometry. This geometry was first organized by Euclid over 2000 years ago. It is still taught because it hasn’t changed and is known to be correct.
Let’s put an observer on the surface of a sphere. The sphere is very large relative to the observer. We’ve all seen this illustration of how a sight line works on a curve.
Take this illustration and rotate it around the axis passing vertically through the observer. The circle becomes a sphere and you can see that the distance from the observer to the horizon is the same in all directions. A line that encloses a space and is equidistant at all times from a central point is the definition of a circle. So if you are directly above the observer and could see a line that marks his horizon, you would see a circle with the observer at the center. This is basic geometry, so we should all agree this is true. Euclid knew it over 2000 years ago.
Now come down until you are at the same level as the observer. You now see the same circle of horizon. You and the observer are now seeing the same angle to the horizon line no matter what direction you look. You see a straight, level line. This is still basic geometry.
So it should be obvious to anyone that the straight, level horizon does not prove a flat Earth. It, however, does not disprove it, but the photo does. Look at the horizon. It is a sharp, well defined line. On a flat Earth, there would be no horizon. No matter what direction you were looking, there would be something visible above the water, either land, or that ice wall flat Earthers claim exists. If the atmosphere was completely clear, you would see something above the water in the distance. It might take a telescope, but it would be there. Of course, the atmosphere is not completely transparent, so you can’t see that far.
On a flat Earth, the water would gradually fade into atmospheric haze. The horizon would be an indistinct haze band between sea and sky. There would be no line. Therefore, the photograph presented to prove that the Earth must be flat actually proves the opposite. Only a hazy band would be visible on a flat Earth, a sharp horizon line can only exist on a spherical Earth. The above photo was altered in Photoshop to illustrate how the flat Earth view might appear.
And for those that take issue with calling this proof because proof only exists in booze, printing, and mathematics, I used geometry here, and that is math.
Some additional notes. The radius of the Earth is: 6378km, 3963mi equatorial, 6357km, 3950mi polar and 6371km, 3958mi average. For an adult male of average height, standing at the water’s edge, the horizon is approximately 2.8 miles away. Referring to the diagram above, the distance to the horizon, d = √(2rh + h^2).
Someone will eventually notice that the sight line to the horizon is below horizontal and will say that on a sphere, you need to be looking down at the horizon. This is absolutely correct. The angle in degrees = 90-arccos(d/r+h). I calculated it for that average observer and it comes out to 0.04°. Let me put that in perspective. I have a 4 foot spirit level. If I level it perfectly, to aim it down 0.04°, I need to drop one side approximately 1/32 inch. If you look really carefully, you might be able to see that the bubble is slightly off to one side out of level. Standing on the shore looking out, I can guarantee you that you can’t see the difference between perfectly level and 0.04° below level.
I should not have to say that the illustration is not to scale. If it was, the stick figure on the Earth would have to be about 1500 miles tall, or the Earth would have to be only about 32 feet in diameter
You're older than me. A nickel bag was a quarter ounce in my era.I think it was called a match box......back in the day ....
A lid was 3/4 ounce in my day. Nickel bag, dime bag, lid (which was the most popular in my day for some weird reason*) and an ounce, $20.1977... remember when an oz was called a LID
Done. Do you think I should put it in the tent or the garage?I've got a large dehumidifier you're welcome to use if you care to give it a spin...it pulled 2.5 gallons a day out of my grow which is now vacant...
you could not take us into outer space , rockets and satellites can only make it into low earth orbit , the Van Allen belts would cook us alive
watch what happens when a rocket goes straight up instead of at an angle….the rocket will hit the dome that covers earth…the firmament above , like the Bible says
please tell Mrs Hopper to keep her chin up , the Truth will be revealed soon!
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