Látóhatár

Látóhatár, in Hungarian, refers to the horizon or the boundary between the sky and the Earth as seen from a given point. It is determined mainly by the curvature of the Earth and the observer’s height above the surface. In practice, the visible horizon can be affected by local topography, atmospheric refraction, and weather conditions, which may slightly extend or obscure the boundary.

Geometrically, the horizon is the point where the extension of the observer’s horizontal plane meets the Earth’s surface. A common approximation for the distance to the horizon from a given eye height h (in meters) is d ≈ 3.57√h, with d in kilometers. For a person with eye level about 1.6–1.8 meters above the ground, the geometric horizon lies roughly 4.5–5 kilometers away. On elevated terrain, such as a hill or mountain, the horizon recedes further, increasing the visible distance.

Atmospheric refraction (the bending of light in the atmosphere) can make the horizon appear slightly farther away or higher than the geometric horizon. The effect depends on atmospheric conditions, including temperature gradients, pressure, and humidity, and it is usually modest, though it can be noticeable in certain setups or seasons.

The concept of látóhatár is relevant in fields such as navigation, surveying, aviation, and photography, where it provides a practical reference for distance, elevation estimation, and line-of-sight considerations. In a broader sense, it is also used metaphorically to denote the limit of one’s field of vision or knowledge.