Movybuf1979
New Member
I have been debating with someone on Youtube about what should and shouldn't be visible due to the Earth's curvature. The individual is using Pilot Mountain in North Carolina and saying there is an observatory there that is at 2,200 feet. There are signs that point to other viewable mountains from the observatory. He is pointing to two mountains specifically: Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Rodgers.
Here is what I replied to him:
"Pilot Mountain is 2,421 (He later told me about the observatory at 2,200 feet, but I am sure the difference isn't that great) feet above sea level. Mount Mitchell is 6,684 feet above sea level. They are a little less than 108 miles away from each other. If you plug those numbers into an Earth curve calculator, you will get a hidden height of 1,520.15 feet. This means that you should be able to see 5,163.85 feet of Mount Mitchell from Pilot Mountain."
"Pilot Mountain and Mt. Rogers are about 64 miles apart. As you said the observatory area of Pilot Mt. is at 2,200 feet. Mt. Rogers is 5,729 feet tall. That gives us a Geometric Horizon of 57.44 miles. A geometric drop of 2731.53 feet. A geometric hidden amount of 28.7 feet. Which leaves us with 5,700.3 feet of Mt. Rogers still visible."
He replied to me regarding my numbers for the Pilot Mt/Mt. Mitchel problem with this:
"I don't know who taught you how to do math but you're incorrect, using your number 108 miles, the drop in 108 miles is 7776 Feet (108x108=11664x8"=93312÷12= 7776ft) let's say the land in Between the 2 mountains is 1200 even though it's much greater than that) so you would subtract the difference between 1200 feet and 2200ft (where I was standing)gives you 1000 feet, so you would subtract 1000ft and 6684ft from 7776 which leaves the mountain hidden by 92 feet, so it should be 92 feet below the horizon and you can literally see hundreds of feet when standing there, if not thousands"
I can see that he is not counting the height of the mountains into his evaluation until after accounting for the curve, which doesn't seem like the right way to do it to me. I am not the greatest at math (it's been a long time since I've had to use this kind of math), so I am not sure how to explain to him what/where he is going wrong. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Here is what I replied to him:
"Pilot Mountain is 2,421 (He later told me about the observatory at 2,200 feet, but I am sure the difference isn't that great) feet above sea level. Mount Mitchell is 6,684 feet above sea level. They are a little less than 108 miles away from each other. If you plug those numbers into an Earth curve calculator, you will get a hidden height of 1,520.15 feet. This means that you should be able to see 5,163.85 feet of Mount Mitchell from Pilot Mountain."
"Pilot Mountain and Mt. Rogers are about 64 miles apart. As you said the observatory area of Pilot Mt. is at 2,200 feet. Mt. Rogers is 5,729 feet tall. That gives us a Geometric Horizon of 57.44 miles. A geometric drop of 2731.53 feet. A geometric hidden amount of 28.7 feet. Which leaves us with 5,700.3 feet of Mt. Rogers still visible."
He replied to me regarding my numbers for the Pilot Mt/Mt. Mitchel problem with this:
"I don't know who taught you how to do math but you're incorrect, using your number 108 miles, the drop in 108 miles is 7776 Feet (108x108=11664x8"=93312÷12= 7776ft) let's say the land in Between the 2 mountains is 1200 even though it's much greater than that) so you would subtract the difference between 1200 feet and 2200ft (where I was standing)gives you 1000 feet, so you would subtract 1000ft and 6684ft from 7776 which leaves the mountain hidden by 92 feet, so it should be 92 feet below the horizon and you can literally see hundreds of feet when standing there, if not thousands"
I can see that he is not counting the height of the mountains into his evaluation until after accounting for the curve, which doesn't seem like the right way to do it to me. I am not the greatest at math (it's been a long time since I've had to use this kind of math), so I am not sure how to explain to him what/where he is going wrong. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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