Most people who have seen arguments attempting to demonstrate that the earth is flat, have seen the famous photo taken of the Chicago skyline across Lake Michigan from Grand Mere State Park, taken by Joshua Nowicki, a professional photographer. The photo was aired on the news, and the reporter made the unfortunate blunder of saying it was unusual to be able to see the skyline across the lake, and that it was only possible on this day due to the cold weather producing a "superior mirage".
The unfortunate myth that has developed is that – since the curvature of the earth is 8” times the mileage (about 60 miles) squared, any of the skyline lower than 2,400 feet would not be visible, and since Willis Tower is only 1,450 feet tall, it would be 950 feet below the horizon. Since the photos show the skyline, this is supposed to prove the earth is flat.
This would be true only if the camera was held down at lake level, and there was no atmosphere. Even if this simplistic calculation was correct, the fact that you can’t see the shoreline and trees all around the lake should be proof enough that the world is not flat. By itself this doesn't tell us how large of a sphere we are dealing with, but it does prove that the surface of Lake Michigan is not flat.
I won't bore you with my detailed calculations, but the top portion of the Chicago skyline on clear days can be easily seen across Lake Michigan from the 53-, 56- and 61-mile locations from which Joshua took the followings videos (below), as long as you are atop the dunes 240 and 183 feet above lake level, or on the roof of the 10-story building on a bluff, respectively.
Besides the high observation points, refraction is another factor making the skyline visible. Atmospheric refraction is the reason why the sun can be seen for about two minutes before sunrise and after sunset. You probably recall times when you’ve seen the sun distorted when it’s at or near the horizon, for the same reasons the Chicago skyline is distorted in these videos.
My calculations take into account both the curvature of the earth and atmospheric refraction. I started my career way back in 1981 as an instrument man for a power- and pipe-line land surveying crew, and we had to calculate these things to carry our elevations properly over long distances. (I still have a machete scar on my shin as evidence, and I can tell you tall Texas tales of poisonous snakes, and what it feels like to get mosquito bites on your sun-burned poison ivy.) Message me if you would not be bored by the calculations.
You can see "looming" (severe refraction) and both inferior and superior mirages (upside down reflections) in these videos, taken in the days immediately following the airing of the infamous photo.
If the earth was really flat, you should be able to see the ground and trees and the bases of all the buildings in Chicago from the lake shore even further away. The mirages would be awesome! On especially clear days, you might even see mirages of the Rocky Mountains dancing far beyond the city!
From Tower Hill in Warren Dunes State Park: https://youtu.be/mAWAHAEvAzc
From Baldtop in Grand Mere State Park: https://youtu.be/FTFEu-Tod7s
From the Whitcomb Tower on a bluff in St. Cloud, MI: https://youtu.be/-_du4A37Pjo
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