When Not To Use Curvature Scaling

[SeijiSetto]

I made a calc recently that angsizes the Earth (not fully visible in the panel) to find out how far the point of view was away.

@KLOL506 commented to suggest I use curvature scaling, to which I replied "you only do that when you need to scale something near/behind the horizon AND you intend to use Earth as a measuring stick".

The planet isn't fully visible in frame, so neither of us are really sure what to do - hence why I'm making this thread.

 

[KLOL506]

@DontTalkDT

 

[DontTalkDT]

I mean, yeah, you can't just assume you see the full diameter.

If that thing it shoots through is a stallite I would make a guess which kind and then just use the distance to a typical orbit. Much safer anyway.

Otherwise, one can probably do some more complex stuff to figure it out. Should work similar to what I did here.

 

[SeijiSetto]

I mean, yeah, you can't just assume you see the full diameter.

I read through the archive link - I haven't fully parsed the trigonometry but I get the concept, being that your apparent sight of a planet from space is always some smaller circle compared to the ACTUAL great circle through its diameter, and the math basically serves to correct that (assuming a normal human FoV).

In that case, if I can't find a satellite that matches (haven't yet but I also haven't looked intensively yet), should I just use the curvature formula anyway?

 

[DontTalkDT]

Like, use the curvature formula to get the corrected diameter of the circle you see and then angsize from that? There's probably a more direct way to do that, but I guess theoretically it should work.

 

[SeijiSetto]

Like, use the curvature formula to get the corrected diameter of the circle you see and then angsize from that? There's probably a more direct way to do that, but I guess theoretically it should work.

Yeah, exactly that. Just makes more sense in my head.

Speaking of making more sense, d'you think it'd be possible to add the image below to the Curvature Scaling page? Just a couple days ago I meant to ask where the formula originally comes from and why it's done, and I feel like this image makes it clear immediately.

From a Vsauce thumbnail.

 

[SeijiSetto]

@DontTalkDT

I've updated it with curvature scaling, mind having another look? Result's just slightly lower.

 

[RoTt35]

I also have the same question with the first calc of this blog which uses curvature scaling

 

[SeijiSetto]

I also have the same question with the first calc of this blog which uses curvature scaling

Absolutely no clue how he ended up with 672km. It should be 9,451km from me literally just taking the same formula and putting it in my calculator.

 

[GarrixianXD]

I mean, yeah, you can't just assume you see the full diameter.

If that thing it shoots through is a stallite I would make a guess which kind and then just use the distance to a typical orbit. Much safer anyway.

Otherwise, one can probably do some more complex stuff to figure it out. Should work similar to what I did here.

Oh dear... That flashback of nostalgia.

 

[SeijiSetto]

I also have the same question with the first calc of this blog which uses curvature scaling

i left a comment
doing the correct curvature scaling (for the earth one) bumps the result from Low 6-B to almost High 6-A, lol
for the mars end it goes from High 6-C to High 6-B