http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php/topic,54253.msg1335518.html#msg1335518
The flat Earth image you showed is correct. It is also the reason when people use airplanes, they can see "two sunsets" after take off. The upper atmolayer is less dense, allowing a longer viewing of the Sun than could be obtained otherwise. I assume by the smiley you think this is evidence for a round Earth, when in fact is just further supports a flat Earth. Thank you for contributing.
This is a very bad attempt at showing a lack of understanding. Refraction happens exactly opposite of what you are saying. For the sun to appear lower in the sky, the light would have to bend "upwards" upon hitting the atmosphere (layer?). For the light to bend upwards, it would have to be going faster. Light travels slower when moving through a thicker medium, as does anything else. I would say air is thicker than space, right rushy? When light hits a thicker medium and travels slower, it bends "down," causing things to appear higher in the sky. Which means that when you look at the sun during sunset, it is lower (relative to eye-line) than it appears, not higher.
The light bending "downward" is why you can see light hitting the bottoms of clouds before you can actually see the sun itself. And, to address another issue...
... If the light from the sun is being dispersed so much that you can't see the sun, then the light would not reflect off of the bottom of the clouds. If it can't reach your eye directly from the sun, then how is it 1. going to break the law of physics and refract backwards to bounce off of the bottom of the clouds and 2. travel further than you say it can to meet your eye?
Do you need a diagram for this? I'll describe one. Take your triangle, and tilt it so that the longer side (side C, if you will) is level, like the ground. Now bend it, stretch it a bit, and lower corner A to where the bottom of the clouds should be (this should be done so that side C is no longer straight, but side A and B still are, and side C should be an arc so the light can go under the clouds). Corner B should still be the "sun." Corner C is the observer, so lets stretch that and put it under the clouds. It should look something like this...
So basically what you're saying is that we can see the light after it's traveled a
longer distance through the atmo(layer?) (from the sun, to cloud, to observer), but not the shorter distance (directly from sun to observer)? This goes against what you've been saying about The light not being able to reach us from the sun, because that light that bounces off of the bottom of the cloud
is from the sun. What is the explanation for this? Also, there are many more unanswered questions in this thread.