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I'm struggling a bit with the proportions..
Horizontal distance looks about right... maybe even a bit over 700 KM (420 miles).
But vertical distance should at least breech the sightline to the horizon from that viewpoint... No ?

At what height is the observer if the width of North America appears to be three inches across.?
Anybody care to work out the geometry?

Cool fact, however.

It just doesn't look right to me. I'm not an expert in any field that could make an educated guess or anything more than that, but it just doesn't look right.

I can see it. I have heard that despite all of the mountain ranges and deep sea craters, that proportionally, the surface of the earth is smoother than a cue ball.

Edited to add:
Ahh here we go: http://www.curiouser.co.uk/facts/smooth_earth.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The World Pool-Billiard Association Tournament Table and Equipment Specifications (November 2001) state: "All balls must be composed of cast phenolic resin plastic and measure 2 ¼ (+.005) inches [5.715 cm (+ .127 mm)] in diameter and weigh 5 ½ to 6 oz [156 to 170 gms]." (Specification 16.)

This means that balls with a diamenter of 2.25 inches cannot have any imperfections (bumps or dents) greater than 0.005 inches. In other words, the bump or dent to diameter ratio cannot exceed 0.005/2.25 = 0.0022222

The Earth's diameter is approximately 12,756.2 kilometres or 12,756,200 metres.

12,756,200 x 0.0022222 = 28,347.111

So, if a billiard ball were enlarged to the size of Earth, the maximum allowable bump (mountain) or dent (trench) would be 28,347 metres.

Earth's highest mountain, Mount Everest, is only 8,848 metres above sea level. Earth's deepest trench, the Mariana Trench, is only about 11 kilometres below sea level.

So if the Earth were scaled down to the size of a billiard ball, all its mountains and trenches would fall well within the WPA's specifications for smoothness.

However, it should be noted that if the Earth were reduced to the size of a billiard ball, it would not conform to the WPA specifications, due to its shape (as well as its composition). The Earth is not a perfect sphere. It is an oblate spheroid. The distance between its poles is shorter than its diameter at the equator by apporoximately 42km. As this is greater than the 28.347km stated above, it would not be deemed sufficiently spherical to pass the test. [Thank you to Neil Brennan for contacting curiouser.co.uk to share this information.]

Back before 9/11, I was doing a big job at Ft. Bragg, NC. In the Commissary eatery one day, I saw a paratrooper's wife/SO wearing a Tee shirt that said something to the effect that, "75% of the Earth is covered with water, The rest is DROP ZONE".

I loved that shirt and I appreciate/admire the 82nd AIRBORNE.

HOUAH, ATW!

terryg wrote:I can see it. I have heard that despite all of the mountain ranges and deep sea craters, that proportionally, the surface of the earth is smoother than a cue ball.

Edited to add:
Ahh here we go: http://www.curiouser.co.uk/facts/smooth_earth.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The World Pool-Billiard Association Tournament Table and Equipment Specifications (November 2001) state: "All balls must be composed of cast phenolic resin plastic and measure 2 ¼ (+.005) inches [5.715 cm (+ .127 mm)] in diameter and weigh 5 ½ to 6 oz [156 to 170 gms]." (Specification 16.)

This means that balls with a diamenter of 2.25 inches cannot have any imperfections (bumps or dents) greater than 0.005 inches. In other words, the bump or dent to diameter ratio cannot exceed 0.005/2.25 = 0.0022222

The Earth's diameter is approximately 12,756.2 kilometres or 12,756,200 metres.

12,756,200 x 0.0022222 = 28,347.111

So, if a billiard ball were enlarged to the size of Earth, the maximum allowable bump (mountain) or dent (trench) would be 28,347 metres.

Earth's highest mountain, Mount Everest, is only 8,848 metres above sea level. Earth's deepest trench, the Mariana Trench, is only about 11 kilometres below sea level.

So if the Earth were scaled down to the size of a billiard ball, all its mountains and trenches would fall well within the WPA's specifications for smoothness.

However, it should be noted that if the Earth were reduced to the size of a billiard ball, it would not conform to the WPA specifications, due to its shape (as well as its composition). The Earth is not a perfect sphere. It is an oblate spheroid. The distance between its poles is shorter than its diameter at the equator by apporoximately 42km. As this is greater than the 28.347km stated above, it would not be deemed sufficiently spherical to pass the test. [Thank you to Neil Brennan for contacting curiouser.co.uk to share this information.]

Whoa! You just blew my mind.

terryg wrote:I can see it. I have heard that despite all of the mountain ranges and deep sea craters, that proportionally, the surface of the earth is smoother than a cue ball.

Edited to add:
Ahh here we go: http://www.curiouser.co.uk/facts/smooth_earth.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The World Pool-Billiard Association Tournament Table and Equipment Specifications (November 2001) state: "All balls must be composed of cast phenolic resin plastic and measure 2 ¼ (+.005) inches [5.715 cm (+ .127 mm)] in diameter and weigh 5 ½ to 6 oz [156 to 170 gms]." (Specification 16.)

This means that balls with a diamenter of 2.25 inches cannot have any imperfections (bumps or dents) greater than 0.005 inches. In other words, the bump or dent to diameter ratio cannot exceed 0.005/2.25 = 0.0022222

The Earth's diameter is approximately 12,756.2 kilometres or 12,756,200 metres.

12,756,200 x 0.0022222 = 28,347.111

So, if a billiard ball were enlarged to the size of Earth, the maximum allowable bump (mountain) or dent (trench) would be 28,347 metres.

Earth's highest mountain, Mount Everest, is only 8,848 metres above sea level. Earth's deepest trench, the Mariana Trench, is only about 11 kilometres below sea level.

So if the Earth were scaled down to the size of a billiard ball, all its mountains and trenches would fall well within the WPA's specifications for smoothness.

However, it should be noted that if the Earth were reduced to the size of a billiard ball, it would not conform to the WPA specifications, due to its shape (as well as its composition). The Earth is not a perfect sphere. It is an oblate spheroid. The distance between its poles is shorter than its diameter at the equator by apporoximately 42km. As this is greater than the 28.347km stated above, it would not be deemed sufficiently spherical to pass the test. [Thank you to Neil Brennan for contacting curiouser.co.uk to share this information.]

Now if you reduce all of that to .30 caliber, you have an idea why bench rest shooters become so obsessed with perfection of their projectiles.

AndyC wrote:The above illustration shows what would happen is all of the water on or near the surface of the Earth were bunched up into a ball. The radius of this ball would be only about 700 kilometers, less than half the radius of the Earth's Moon, but slightly larger than Saturn's moon Rhea which, like many moons in our outer Solar System, is mostly water ice.

So... you're saying that if Rhea melted on us, sea-levels would raise more than from global warming?

If someone pops that bubble, it'll wash California away.

Do it...DO IT!!!

BTW, another good reason to drink beer. Water is too precious to waste.

Oldgringo wrote:Back before 9/11, I was doing a big job at Ft. Bragg, NC. In the Commissary eatery one day, I saw a paratrooper's wife/SO wearing a Tee shirt that said something to the effect that, "75% of the Earth is covered with water, The rest is DROP ZONE".

I loved that shirt and I appreciate/admire the 82nd AIRBORNE.

HOUAH, ATW!

I have 2 of those shirts, I also have one that says only P's refuse to DZ in water

Fantastic, thanks.

Jumping Frog wrote:If someone pops that bubble, it'll wash California away.

Do it...DO IT!!!

BTW, another good reason to drink beer. Water is too precious to waste.

Well, except for the fact that beer is mostly water.

. . . and I still keep the faucet on while I'm brushing my teeth.


(The cue ball analogy was great, btw!)