[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 95 KB, 640x358, mono.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12210565 No.12210565 [Reply] [Original]

if something is one mile in diameter, removing any environmental or atmospheric distortions how far would it have to be before i can no longer see it anymore.. is there a formula i can reference?

>> No.12210577

>>12210565
try drawing a diagram

>> No.12210587

>>12210577

thanks anon, im glad i came to the right place to find a mathemetician or at least someone who could articulate as to why my request doesnt work....but "draw a diagram" works i guess ...my freind told me to try plebbit instead of here but i told him i have more faith in my anons

>> No.12211235

Your eyes and cameras all have an effective angular resolution limit below which different features can't be resolved so you need to look that up, then you can calculate the distance the 1 mile object needs to be to give that angle which is just basic trig:
distance=1mile/tan(angle)

>> No.12212602

>>12210565
This means it is 1609 m tall, so you need to see how far it has to be to be behind the horizon.
A simplified formula is
D(km) = 4.2 sqrt( height (m)
and that works out to be nearly 170 Km.

>> No.12212608

>>12210565
It's either the maximal distance of visibility in air, or depending on your world, the circumference will cut it off.

>> No.12212623

>>12210565
>is there a formula i can reference?
No.

Because it will be more or less visible depending on environmental factors like being white and reflective on a dark background or dark on a white background etc.

>> No.12212668

>>12210565
is something a cylinder?

>> No.12212707
File: 7 KB, 300x188, 300px-F-15E_Strike_Eagle.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12212707

>>12210565
Try checking air flight info. They separate instrument aided flight from visual flight. So they probably have some slacky metrics to "measure" visibility depending on altimeter and weather info

>> No.12214527

>>12210565
Depends if globeness of earth is enviromental distortion...

Problem is, you wouldn't even have to move, because object has no height.

Also depends on your eye sight.