Do you believe earth curvature can be measured, and, if so, how?
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Measuring Earth's curvature
1. You can simultaneously measure the altitude of the sun at solar noon on the equinox along the same line of longitude. You will discover that at different latitudes the altitude is equal to 90-latitude on the Equinox. At the Equator it is 90-0 = 90 degrees. At the North and South pole it is 90-90 = 0 degrees.
2. You can see the curvature of the Earth on the moon during a lunar eclipse.
3. You can put a satellite into space and take a picture of the Earth which you can use to measure the curvature.
4. You can watch a ship appear to sink into the ocean as it sails away. If you know the height of the mast and the distance when it disappears you can use that to measure the curvature.
1. You can simultaneously measure the altitude of the sun at solar noon on the equinox along the same line of longitude. You will discover that at different latitudes the altitude is equal to 90-latitude on the Equinox. At the Equator it is 90-0 = 90 degrees. At the North and South pole it is 90-90 = 0 degrees.
2. You can see the curvature of the Earth on the moon during a lunar eclipse.
3. You can put a satellite into space and take a picture of the Earth which you can use to measure the curvature.
4. You can watch a ship appear to sink into the ocean as it sails away. If you know the height of the mast and the distance when it disappears you can use that to measure the curvature.
In the third century BCE, writer, geographer, astronomer, and poet Eratosthenes produced maps that included irregularly spaced grid lines which we would now call parallels (lines of latitude) and meridians (lines of longitude).
Go ahead, focus your telescope on England from NYC and let me know what you see.
Go ahead, focus your telescope on England from NYC and let me know what you see.
Anyone can prove the sea-horizon perfectly straight and the entire Earth perfectly flat using nothing more than a level, tripods and a wooden plank. At any altitude above sea-level, simply fix a 6-12 foot long, smooth, leveled board edgewise upon tripods and observe the skyline from eye-level behind it. The distant horizon will always align perfectly parallel with the upper edge of the board. Furthermore, if you move in a half-circle from one end of the board to the other whilst observing the skyline over the upper edge, you will be able to trace a clear, flat 10-20 miles depending on your altitude. This would be impossible if the Earth were a globe 25,000 miles in circumference; the horizon would align over the center of the board but then gradually, noticeably decline towards the extremities. Just ten miles on each side would necessitate an easily visible curvature of 66.6 feet from each end to the center.
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What is the distance after 273.4 miles until earth curvature can be measured?
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I think this is an effect of perspective. Like if you look at street lamps at a far enough distance, the furthest ones will appear to be at eye level. They're not - it's just that's how they appear because of perspective. Say, measure a street lamp at 1m horizontal distance, it will be close to 90 degrees. Then at 10m - less. By the time you get to 100m, it will likely appear to be close to eye level. It's not, and it's nothing to do with curvature given the short distance - it's simply perspective.
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