Flat Horizon Argument Debunked?

Flat Earth proponents will say that the horizon is flat no matter how high we go, like with this photo:

However, we must remember that we have cone vision when flying up, so the horizon will actually appear flat until we get high enough to distinguish a curve from two distinct latitude points (which is very high up, higher than any amateur balloon goes up). It will appear as a circle around you that is flat at the horizon.



Try this yourself, take a globe and put a flat ring shaped object that can go over it on top of it, and the flat inner edges will correspond with the curve, which means we would expect a flat horizon throughout much of the lower atmosphere.

How do you attach a picture from a file on here? I was going to do that.

Anyways, is this right? or am I mistaken?

This is correct.
The horizon (ignoring the roughness and non perfect sphere nature of Earth) is flat. This is because it is the intersection of a plane with the sphere. It will always be a flat ring.

When you take a picture of this flat ring from basically inside the ring (or only slightly above it), it will appear as a straight line.
In order to see the curve you need to start looking down from above, rather than out from inside.

While you look straight out from in, it will be at the same angle of dip and thus (when you don't have distortion issues from the camera) will appear as a straight line.

The horizon doesn't look flat from anywhere.  If  I stand on a boat in open water the same horizon is to each side of me and straight ahead of me at the same time.    The simplest of geometry says a straight line can't do that!

The horizon doesn't look flat from anywhere.  If  I stand on a boat in open water the same horizon is to each side of me and straight ahead of me at the same time.    The simplest of geometry says a straight line can't do that!

You what? A pizza is flat, but if you stand in the middle of one, the crust rises up on all sides of you too (that is, if your view isn't blocked by an olive or something).

The horizon doesn't look flat from anywhere.  If  I stand on a boat in open water the same horizon is to each side of me and straight ahead of me at the same time.    The simplest of geometry says a straight line can't do that!

I am referring to a level horizon.

The horizon doesn't look flat from anywhere.  If  I stand on a boat in open water the same horizon is to each side of me and straight ahead of me at the same time.    The simplest of geometry says a straight line can't do that!

The horizon is a large flat circle around the viewer, but that circle is so large that it looks flat.
Not only that but a photo of that horizon shows it as flat.

What neither you nor the camera can show is that the distance from you to the horizon is the same all 360° around.
Obviously that is something a straight line does not do .

This may (or may not) clarify that:
<< added video >>

The horizon doesn't look flat from anywhere.  If  I stand on a boat in open water the same horizon is to each side of me and straight ahead of me at the same time.    The simplest of geometry says a straight line can't do that!

You are aware flat and a straight line are different?

Remember, your vision is a 2D projection. A 2D projection of a circle when viewed from the centre of that circle is a straight line.

Regardless, the horizon (ignoring the irregularities of Earth), must be flat.
It is the same distance and at the same angle of dip all around. That means it must be co-planer and thus must be flat.

Remember, your vision is a 2D projection. A 2D projection of a circle when viewed from the centre of that circle is a straight line.

To get that view of the circle of the horizon I'd have to be a fair way under water  (where it would no longer be my horizon!) .    The horizon is always a curved line viewed from above the surface of the water.

The horizon is a large flat circle around the viewer, but that circle is so large that it looks flat.

It doesn't look flat to me.

Quote from: 54N on June 27, 2017, 04:40:20 PM

The horizon doesn't look flat from anywhere.  If  I stand on a boat in open water the same horizon is to each side of me and straight ahead of me at the same time.    The simplest of geometry says a straight line can't do that!

I am referring to a level horizon.

So am I.

To get that view of the circle of the horizon I'd have to be a fair way under water  (where it would no longer be my horizon!) .    The horizon is always a curved line viewed from above the surface of the water.

Yes, to get that exact view you would need to be, but being up at a small angle doesn't make it significantly curved, and thus it will still often appear as a straight line (as in you cannot detect any curve visually, not that it is physically a straight line).

Quote from: rabinoz on June 27, 2017, 10:41:39 PM

The horizon is a large flat circle around the viewer, but that circle is so large that it looks flat.

It doesn't look flat to me.

Then what does it look like, because it should be flat.
Get a piece of paper, on a solid, flat desk, and draw a circle on it. Is that circle flat?

I think flat earth proponents think that the flat horizon line is evidence of a flat earth. However, they apparently don't consider that it's SUPPOSED to be flat. With people being extremely small (like grasshoppers, according to the Bible), in comparison to our huge planet, the population at large, can't get far enough away from the surface to see the shape of the entire earth.

Just as you can't see how an outfit looks on someone if they're standing 1 foot away from you, you can't see the curve because we're too close to the surface.  We have to find other evidence to discover the truth.

However, in order to do this, we can't assume that we understand everything about physics, geometry, trigonometry, ect.. We must HUMBLE ourselves, and learn.

I see many arguments for the flat earth theory which reveal a total lack of understanding of how these things work in relation to our planet.

True learners make few declarations, but rather, ask MANY questions, while assuming NOTHING.