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Old 8th May 2003, 16:39
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Mukka
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: West Sussex, UK
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I get roughly half Bevan's figure.

I make it 2.6 degrees at 300nm.

The solution is a bit long-winded though - so bound to be a mistake somewhere!

If you draw a tangent to the Earth's surface, and make the line 300nm long.
Join both ends of the tangent to the centre of the Earth.
You've got a right angle triangle.
The angle subtended at the centre of the Earth is atan(300/3443) = 5 degrees ( where 3443 is Earth radius approx.)

If you then calculate the length of the longer line from the Earth centre to the end of the tangent from 300/sin(5 degrees) =3456 nm.

The difference from the centre of the Earth to either end of the tangent being 3456 - 3443 = 13 nm.

And 13nm in 300 = 2.6 degrees.

The Earth's surface drops away from the tangent at roughly 0.5nm in 60 = 0.5 degrees.
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