I have viewed the Isle of Man with the naked eye from the A595 Cumbria coast road,a distance of 30 miles.
Some folk say it can be seen from Blackpool at a distance of 60 miles.For all times I've been on the front there on a clear day I have not once been able to spot it.

The wife has just emailed this photo that someone claims to have taken from near the Central Pier.

That can't be right. Could be Alcatraz but not the Isle of Man.

I used to work with a bloke who easel adamant you could see the Isle of Man from Peel tower.
He did drink a bit mind.

I'm still not convinced

According to an earth curvature calculator, if the observer is looking from 30 feet above sea level at an object 60 miles away, the earth's curve will obscure 1,900 feet of it (give or take). Snaefell is 2,037 feet high, so if the air is clear enough there's nothing in the way. I dare say there might be some form of mirage / parallax / heat haze / refraction effect at sunset as well?

You can see it from the top of Scafell Pike on a really clear day, but Blackpool? Not so sure

I don't know the figures but I instinctively thought it ought to be too far away to see (I had in my head that the circumference of the earth gave a viewing distance of a maximium of approx 25 miles) but dsr's positing of heat reflections changes the game.

That's a lovely mound. Not seen one of those for a long while.

The curve of the earth makes it impossible. That's the loch ness monster.

So,Is that a genuine photo of Isle of Man from Blackpool or what??

The answer is yes it can be seen when the atmospheric conditions allow. I remember seeing it as a kid and i couldn't believe it but my dad explained it was rare. It was at sunset and you could see the lights twinkling too on the island.

So yes..i believe that pic and it looks just as i remember too.

Well I've never seen it and neither have friends who have lived in Blackpool all their lives.

I think from my layman's physics that you would need a sunset so that the gravity of the sun bends the light round the curvature of the earth. This is the phenomena that proved Einstein's theory of relativity.

Somebody who is clever at physics could perhaps tell us properly?

I don't know much, but I know for a FACT that the Isle of Mann exists, so you can all rest easy.

Australia on the other hand.....

Rowls wrote:I think from my layman's physics that you would need a sunset so that the gravity of the sun bends the light round the curvature of the earth. This is the phenomena that proved Einstein's theory of relativity.

Somebody who is clever at physics could perhaps tell us properly?

You mean there is a subject that you aren't an expert on?

You can see NI, Wales, Scotland and England on a clear day from the top of Snaefell.

Thought it was Barrow area you could see from there though, not convinced about Blackpool.

I have seen it myself...it does happen and like Rowls says it must take a certain set of conditions for it to happen. I didn't imagine it. No conjecture..it's a real pic and it happens albeit rarely.

Either that or it's a Russian Sub

You can just about see Northern Ireland from Portpatrick and that's only a distance of 23 miles.

It's rare but does happen.A colleague from Blackpool says he's never seen it himself but pictures do appear in the local paper (the Gazette?)in similar conditions at sunset.

I live on the Isle of Man and it’s Cumbria we can see from my office window........a beautiful view in the winter when you can see snow on the mountains........and if I close my eyes I can see Turf Moor!

How about from the top of the Tower? Or off the Grand National?

There's a video on YouTube from a few years ago saying it's possible

https://youtu.be/PnpcGLNkw6k

Explaination and photo's here

https://visitcleveleys.co.uk/about/view ... cleveleys/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Isle of Man Mirage

If you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you are seeing the Isle of Man with the help of an atmospheric phenomenon.

This is a summary of information from http://www.overwyre.info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Click through to the link for the full scientific and mathematic explanation!

Refractive looming, refractive towering and maybe helped by a Superior Mirage, helps you to get a clear view of the hills and valleys, as the light is affected by the atmospheric conditions.

A superior mirage is a reasonably rare event, seen when the air near to the ground is colder than the air above it – or in this case the sea and the air just above it maintains a cold temperature as the less dense air above it can warm up more quickly.

In this instance the layers of differing refractive index cause the rays of light to be bent, and sometimes reflected, downwards.

Under these conditions you can actually see over the horizon, which is why you can see more of the Isle of Man than you strictly should be able to from Cleveleys.

I remember seeing Blackpool from the isle of man when the illuminations where on my dad lived in Ramsey

I remember seeing Blackpool from the isle of man when the illuminations where on my dad lived in Ramsey

[quote="Dazzler"] taken from near the Central Pier.

what the butler saw?

This picture was on the telly the other night.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/59251448@N04/25708799453" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Goobs wrote:You mean there is a subject that you aren't an expert on?

Science is definitely a weak point but hey, when you've got an IQ like mine there's no hiding it.

In fact, it barely fits behind my ego.

Fortunately, I'm modest too so most people don't notice.