Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.15086

    Appearance from the sea of the overhanging of the land

    Date
    27 February 1689
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p248
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 315mm
    width (page): 200mm
    Subject
    Physics
       > Optics
    Description
    A figure drawn in text on the line (height: 7 mm, width: 52 mm) showing the view of an overhanging of the land from the sea as a result of reflection on a surface higher than that of water.

    This figure is copied in JBC/7/174.
    Transcription
    The same said, that upon the first appearance of Land from the Sea, the Mountain tops do shew themselves to be much more pointed than they really are, which was conjectured to arise from the Air or Mediums refraction, which is seen to cutt off the angles so much as to go beyond the perpendicular, and make it seem overhang.
    Mr. Fatio said, that he had often observed that appearance of the overhanging of the Land which he conceived to be the reflection of the upper part, upon a surface somewhat higher, than that of the water, as for Example [Figure]
    This surface so reflecting, Mr Hook was of opinion, was the surface of the thicker vapours of the Sea, which in still weather might be smooth enough to cast such a reflection.
    Transcribed by the Making Visible project
    Related fellows
    Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1664 - 2004, Swiss) , Mathematician
    Robert Hooke (1635 - 1703, British) , Natural philosopher
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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