Good evening. I hope I am not interfering by breaking in on you but just came across this . Very interesting, so please continue.
This was way back in the dark ages when I was in the Navy. The ship on which I was stationed made a "cruise" to Japan and back each year. This was also back before the Internet and The Flat Earth Society. It was such a common occurrence that we didn't think anything about it.
When we sailed west from San Diego, you could notice the shoreline disappeared and finally the peak of Point Loma disappeared. Then we neared Honolulu the top of Diamond Head first came in view and as we got nearer the shoreline at Waikiki Beach could be seen.
Also ships disappeared hull first and finally the tops of their masts. And once those ships or land disappeared over the horizon there was no way you could "Restore them to view with a telescope." I'm sure the guys on the bridge would have been glad to know they could have done this. LOL. When I first saw that on the FES I wondered who, why and how that came from. LOL.
There wasn't any discussion about the flat earth at that time. We just knew it to be a fact that this was due to the globular shape of the earth. Both from this and radar theory.
Pardon the interruption but thought I would put in my two cents worth from my own experiences. I was a radar technician and I also liked to checked the radar with the visual observations of ships and land.
So you really have to chalk off all this flat earth stuff as pure fiction and not even science fiction. I really don't understand why anyone would believe in it. I think it's all an act. It does provide some entertainment at least.
Nice story, but I want proof.
In many observations, I saw that the objects at a far distance are not sinking as much as the Round Earth formula dictates.
see, for example
Most RE-believers claim that this is caused by refraction. This claim is not backed up with evidence.
So, please enlighten us with proof!
Well, if you don't believe me, just ask anyone in any navy or anyone who has ever taken an ocean cruise. In the navy, just ask anyone who has ever stood a watch on the bridge. Or even those such as myself who have just observed this many times.
As I mentioned, it is such a common thing that there is no doubt of what you are observing. Common knowledge. You just can't deny that things that are just as they are.
The distance to the horizon computations can be verified by radar theory. The radar on this particular ship used a frequency which operated on line-of-sight and the maximum range was limited by the distance to the horizon computed by the well known formula of the distance to the horizon determined by the height of the radar antenna. If you doubt the distance to the horizon then you would have to disprove radar theory. And of course all radars act according to radar theory if they are properly designed and properly maintained .
Of course I am sure someone is going to post about over the horizon radars. But that is a different story. There are all types of radars designed for different purposes which operate on different frequencies and different design criteria to give different results.
Once again if you are a so-called "flat earth believer" or even if you are just one of the many suspected "flat earth actors" just denying the fact won't change the fact that the earth is a globe and not some sort of a so-called flat disc with a so-called ice rim around the edge. Or deny the fact that there is no flat earth map of the entire earth.
I am asking for proof and you come up with new stories and opinions.
Here is an experiment that "FE Experiments" can perform.:
Go to any Naval Station or Cruise Ship or Ship Line office and ask them if they can - Quote - "With a telescope you can recover or bring back into sight a ship which has passed over the horizon and out of sight. Of course this proves that the earth is flat and is not a globe." Please report back with your results. Even a telephone call would suffice. These people would be experts and well experienced on this subject so I would assume any evidence they have would be sufficient for you.
While you are it ask them if their oceanic charts are made from the flat earth map of the entire earth.You might have to explain to them that the Azimuthal Equidistant Projection Map Of The Globe Map is the true map of the world of which you are referring and not something that Round Earthers erroneously call a "projection" of a thing they call "globe."
You call FE-ers stupid, but you find it very hard to read and understand the question.
You have your own personal horizon (in a circle around you) and yes, at a far distance a part of objects is obscured, but not as much as a RE-horizon would do (according to the RE-formula).
All I'm asking for is to provide any evidence that it is refraction that causes the difference between the horizon that is observed and the calculated RE-horizon (RE-curvature formula).
And I am just listing some sources where you can go for answers to your questions about the horizon. You're not stupid if you have a question and either do some research or go to some authority on the subject as suggested. Quote : "The only dumb question is the one you don't ask." Science classes in local Community Colleges are also good sources for information.
The actual calculated distance to the horizon doesn't change. The
apparent distance to the horizon to the observer may be affected by refraction or other atmospheric conditions.
Main points to keep in mind.:
1. Under normal conditions (no effects due to atmospheric conditions) the horizon is a definite line where earth and sky or ocean and sky meet.
2. The actual distance to the horizon may be determined by a simple formula taking into account the height of the observer.
3. Charts and maps used in oceanic navigation are made from projections of the globe.
4. The earth is a globe.
5. There is no flat earth map of the entire earth.
6. The earth is not flat.