Most inexpensive way to photograph earth's curvature
Discussion
How would YOU go about capturing images (video too?) of the Earth's curvature, as economically as possible..
I know I could just Google but I reckon pistonheads members are capable of doing this better than most!
Is a diy rocket and cheap Chinese gopro the way to go? I have zero experience but if it is possible to do on a budget I would love to have a go!
I know I could just Google but I reckon pistonheads members are capable of doing this better than most!
Is a diy rocket and cheap Chinese gopro the way to go? I have zero experience but if it is possible to do on a budget I would love to have a go!
Depends whether you want a picture that actually shows the curvature of the earth or one that shows the effect of the curvature.
In the first instance you'll need to get to quite high altitude (an airliner doesn't get high enough) - at 40,000ft it's quite subtle. It becomes more apparent at 65,000ft.
If you stand on a beach and take a photo of something miles away, you're seeing the effect that curvature has on distant objects, but not the actual curvature.
In the first instance you'll need to get to quite high altitude (an airliner doesn't get high enough) - at 40,000ft it's quite subtle. It becomes more apparent at 65,000ft.
If you stand on a beach and take a photo of something miles away, you're seeing the effect that curvature has on distant objects, but not the actual curvature.
travel is dangerous said:
i think you're seeing the curvature, just along the axis that you are looking along and not perpendicular to it.
Look at the picture posted earlier - do you see any curved horizon on it? That picture shows the effect that the curvature has on distant objects, but it doesn't actually show the curvature.RobDickinson said:
Well found, 7 years 
Sort of the same issue but a different angle, almost literally.
I saw a report from the flat earth society conference last year that a woman had convinced herself that the earth was flat by holding a ruler up to the horizon and noting how straight the horizon was.
So if we assumed a metre long ruler held a metre away from my eyes how much would the horizon curve between the two ends of the ruler? I can do most of the maths apart from being clear about the distance to the horizon
I saw a report from the flat earth society conference last year that a woman had convinced herself that the earth was flat by holding a ruler up to the horizon and noting how straight the horizon was.
So if we assumed a metre long ruler held a metre away from my eyes how much would the horizon curve between the two ends of the ruler? I can do most of the maths apart from being clear about the distance to the horizon
Billsnemesis said:
Sort of the same issue but a different angle, almost literally.
I saw a report from the flat earth society conference last year that a woman had convinced herself that the earth was flat by holding a ruler up to the horizon and noting how straight the horizon was.
So if we assumed a metre long ruler held a metre away from my eyes how much would the horizon curve between the two ends of the ruler? I can do most of the maths apart from being clear about the distance to the horizon
It wouldn't - the horizon is equidistant from you and therefore at the same height - no curvature.I saw a report from the flat earth society conference last year that a woman had convinced herself that the earth was flat by holding a ruler up to the horizon and noting how straight the horizon was.
So if we assumed a metre long ruler held a metre away from my eyes how much would the horizon curve between the two ends of the ruler? I can do most of the maths apart from being clear about the distance to the horizon
On a sunny day in London at mid-day place a vertical stick in the ground and take a photo of it (capturing its shaddow).
At the same time ask a friend on holiday in Spain (say Valencia) to do the same.
Then compare photos.
edit to add : assuming you are located on or somewhere near to the same longitude - and accounting for the 1-hour time difference of course between UK and EU time
At the same time ask a friend on holiday in Spain (say Valencia) to do the same.
Then compare photos.
edit to add : assuming you are located on or somewhere near to the same longitude - and accounting for the 1-hour time difference of course between UK and EU time
Edited by Atomic12C on Tuesday 6th March 09:34
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