- stopwatch or phone
- known elevated viewpoint
- clear horizon
Experiment
Sunset Delay From Elevation
Does gaining elevation delay sunset as curvature predicts?
Materials Needed
Setup Steps
- Record sunset at lower viewpoint.
- Move to higher viewpoint quickly.
- Record delayed sunset and compare with expected delay.
Expected Calculation
Horizon distance increases with height, so line-of-sight to the sun persists longer.
Graphic
This visual shows the core geometry the experiment is testing before the real-world observation is made.
What to Observe
- Higher elevation produces a measurable extra sunset window.
- Delay scales with elevation gain in the expected direction.
Interpretation
The delay is consistent with curved-surface sightline geometry.
Sources
Evidence Card
Claim
Does gaining elevation delay sunset as curvature predicts?
Model Used
Curved-surface hidden-height geometry checked against a field observation protocol.
Formula
Horizon distance increases with height, so line-of-sight to the sun persists longer.Last Verified
2026-03-23
Assumptions
- Earth is treated as a sphere with mean radius 6371 km unless the linked tool applies refraction.
- Observer and target heights are geometric heights above the surface.
- Weather, mirage, and heat shimmer are treated as uncertainty bands, not as proof either way by themselves.
External Sources
A page-specific source set has not been attached yet.
What Would Falsify This Page
Repeatable shoreline or tower observations that matched flat-plane hidden-height predictions while violating spherical geometry under the same heights and distances would count against this page.