Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!lll-lcc!pyramid!weitek!sci!daver
From: daver@sci.UUCP (Dave Rickel)
Newsgroups: sci.misc
Subject: Re: The Last Word on Friedman, Sevener, and Cuba
Message-ID: <17966@sci.UUCP>
Date: 11 Mar 88 22:58:03 GMT
References: <3405@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <3895@whuts.UUCP> <3588@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Organization: Silicon Compilers Systems Corp. San Jose, Ca
Lines: 15
Summary: Daedalus, Venus

Nifty piece on atmospheric refraction in _The Inventions of Daedalus_, a
collection of articles from The New Scientist.  According to Daedalus, if
the earth were 13 km less in radius, the bending due to atmospheric refraction
would be equal to the curvature of the earth.  Neat.  On a clear day, you
could see the back of your head (given a good telescope and a lack of mountain
ranges).

I remember an article on Venus where it stated that due to atmospheric
refraction, the ground would appear to curve upwards when viewed from its
surface.  I think the Soviets have gotten pictures back from the surface--
was this affect noticeable?


david rickel
decwrl!sci!daver