How far away is the horizon?

[Halibut]

Assuming a flat landscape, roughly how far away (in miles) is the horizon?

[cgksheff]

http://www.boatsafe.com/tools/horizon.htm

 

Roughly 3 & a bit miles.

 

 

also:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon

[seriessix]

Is it possible to see the curve of the earth from a high vantage point (that's not in space)?

[Halibut]

Many thanks cgk, that's a brilliant couple of links.

[KJ_VENOM]

i saw on a top gear report that there was a track with a straight five and a half miles long and you couldn't see the end of it because of the curve of the earth that would be the horizon but it seems a very short distance

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMN5EmHZ2sw&mode=related&search=

[Guest]

You can work it out here, according to your height. It's 4 and a bit Km for average eye level.

 

EDIT: Nearly 3 miles if you're going to be all old-fashioned about it.

[Danny_Boy]

i saw on a top gear report that there was a track with a straight five and a half miles long and you couldn't see the end of it because of the curve of the earth that would be the horizon but it seems a very short distance

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMN5EmHZ2sw&mode=related&search=

 

That was the VW test track in Germany where James May drove the Veyron.

[alchresearch]

Is it possible to see the curve of the earth from a high vantage point (that's not in space)?

 

I'm not sure about a land-based point - possibly the Petronas Towers or Taipei 101 but I'm sure you can from high altitute sky diving.

[cgksheff]

Is it possible to see the curve of the earth from a high vantage point (that's not in space)?

 

 

 

It is generally accepted that 60,000 feet it the altitude at which the curve can clearly be seen, but some say that there are suggestions of a curve as low as 40,000 feet.

[Plain Talker]

I'm not sure what angle the earth curves at, but I do know that the humber Bridge uprights that support the bridge are further apart at the top, than they are at the bottom, due to the curvature of the earth.