Far-sight

Sneakypete · #1 01-25-2013, 01:20 PM

A friend at the dayjob today claimed that when he was on holiday in Florida he could look out over the sea and see Cuba.That's about eighty miles isn't it? Wouldn't the curvature of the earth prevent that? Floridians please comment. I think the furthest distance I've ever seen was from Victoria on Vancouver Island to a snow-capped mountain range in the States and back home in the UK i've certainly looked over to France from the south coast and Ireland from the west but that's less than 30 miles in each case.
So here's todays puzzler - what is the longest line of sight you have experienced? Where and when? Only when your feet were on the ground and with the naked eye please not from a balloon or while wing-walking on a 747.

elgecko · #2 01-25-2013, 01:29 PM

Probably this view from the top of the lower 48s...but bump for an answer from flat land.

MatticusMania · #3 01-25-2013, 01:30 PM

I can see Russia from my house, and I live in Southern California.

hover · #4 01-25-2013, 01:33 PM

Oh my God, it's a Mirage..I'm tellin y'all, it's Guevara!!!!

tastybasslines · #5 01-25-2013, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

I can see Russia from my house, and I live in Southern California.

You have a telescope?

MatticusMania · #6 01-25-2013, 01:41 PM

I do, but its broken. I looked at the moon with it once, and I saw two gentlemen sitting down for tea.

TolerancEJ · #7 01-25-2013, 01:53 PM

I would tend to believe your friend. The circumference of the Earth is 40,075 KM (24901.451 Miles). 80 miles, in reference to 24901 is not even 1%, and would still basically be a straight line in terms of your eyesight.

Maybe plan a trip to Florida so you can see it for yourself. Lots to do there... Bass Central, Disney World, & I believe a Harry Potter theme-park is also there.)

Febs · #8 01-25-2013, 01:57 PM

According to Wikipedia, the forumula for calculating distance to the horizon is:

D = 1.22 x sqrt(H)

where D = distance in miles, and H is the height in feet of an observer.

Cuba's highest elevation is 6,476 feet, so the distance from that point to the horizon is 98.18 miles.

TolerancEJ · #9 01-25-2013, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Febs

According to Wikipedia, the forumula for calculating distance to the horizon is:

D = 1.22 x sqrt(H)

where D = distance in miles, and H is the height in feet of an observer.

Cuba's highest elevation is 6,476 feet, so the distance from that point to the horizon is 98.18 miles.

Hehe... When trying to establish a point, one should never begin with "According to wikipedia..." Just kidding. The formula looks fine.

LarryO · #10 01-25-2013, 02:07 PM

That was not Cuba. That was a mobile sea going alien base being manned by ghosts, bigfoot and jesus

TolerancEJ · #11 01-25-2013, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryO

That was not Cuba. That was a mobile sea going alien base being manned by ghosts, bigfoot and jesus

Your analysis might not be too far off. According to this pic, Cuba is pretty close to the Bermuda Triangle...

elgecko · #12 01-25-2013, 02:10 PM

The Bermuda Triangle is just a sub-formation of the Bermuda Shorts.

bluesblaster · #13 01-25-2013, 02:15 PM

If you stand at the southern most point of the US in key west, which is basically where US1 ends, theres a big orange pylon there you cant miss it. Then standing at essentially sea level looking south on a clear day I doubt that you can see any part of cuba from there. I myself have done so on several occasions and seen nothing but sea and boats and the occassional windsurfer

MatticusMania · #14 01-25-2013, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluesblaster

If you stand at the southern most point of the US in key west, which is basically where US1 ends, theres a big orange pylon there you cant miss it. Then standing at essentially sea level looking south on a clear day I doubt that you can see any part of cuba from there. I myself have done so on several occasions and seen nothing but sea and boats and the occassional windsurfer

Yeah, but youre probably near-sighted.

elgecko · #15 01-25-2013, 02:39 PM

This photo is supposedly the US line-of-sight record at 190-miles. Again this is "high altitude". I'm not sure how different sea level line-of-sights are.

http://lwp.smugmug.com/Other/San-Gor...3242&k=pWX5T2g

Here's an interesting line-of-site website.

http://www.heywhatsthat.com/

bluesblaster · #16 01-25-2013, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Yeah, but youre probably near-sighted.

that was before I became nearsighted.

It must have been an exceptionally clear day for someone to look out over 90 miles of open sea and sight another land mass.

LiquidMidnight · #17 01-25-2013, 02:52 PM

If you want a good laugh while simultaneously shaking your head, check these people out:

http://theflatearthsociety.org/cms/

TolerancEJ · #18 01-25-2013, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

If you want a good laugh while simultaneously shaking your head, check these people out:

http://theflatearthsociety.org/cms/

I've heard of that before.

pocketgroove · #19 01-25-2013, 03:10 PM

Wow, this thread is full of win. I'm not sure how far it is across the Detroit river from my part of Michigan to Canada, but I can see it. Pretty sure it's not far of a distance though. Hard to believe someone could see Cuba from Florida...

bluesblaster · #20 01-25-2013, 03:20 PM

according to something called the pythagorean theory, if one is at sea level, which Key West pretty much is, and look out over a flat surface area like the ocean on a calm day, one can see 2.9 miles ( if there not nearsighted) so to see another 87 miles your gonna have to get up in the air a ways.