Re:Longest Lines of Sight on Earth
by btilly on Thursday July 27, 2017 @03:23PM
(#14868512)
Too simplistic of an approach for what?
It is meant to show how to calculate the position of the horizon on a smooth planet. Obviously your line of sight typically includes tall things beyond the horizon. However this calculation lets you know both how far away your horizon is, and how far beyond that a tall object could be seen if nothing else was in the way. Which puts an upper limit on how far away it can be.
A little bit of elementary geometry gives you a lot more than I expected it would the first time I amused myself by figuring the calculation.
Actually finding those points requires a lot more work, which this list does.
It is meant to show how to calculate the position of the horizon on a smooth planet. Obviously your line of sight typically includes tall things beyond the horizon. However this calculation lets you know both how far away your horizon is, and how far beyond that a tall object could be seen if nothing else was in the way. Which puts an upper limit on how far away it can be.
A little bit of elementary geometry gives you a lot more than I expected it would the first time I amused myself by figuring the calculation.
Actually finding those points requires a lot more work, which this list does.