orizontul

Orizontul is the Romanian term for the line where the earth or sea appears to meet the sky from a given location. In everyday language it refers to the visible horizon, the boundary between ground or water and the sky as perceived by an observer. In scientific and navigational contexts, two related concepts are distinguished: the geographic (geometric) horizon and the astronomical horizon.

The geographic or geometric horizon is the apparent boundary where the surface of the Earth or sea intersects the sky from a particular height. The astronomical horizon is the intersection of the local horizontal plane with the celestial sphere, corresponding to objects with an altitude of zero degrees.

Distance to the horizon increases with the observer’s height. A common approximation is d ≈ 3.57√h, with d in kilometers and h in meters, for a clear view over sea or flat land. Atmospheric refraction bends light and can raise the apparent horizon, making distant objects visible beyond the purely geometric limit. Terrain, weather, and optical effects such as mirages or surface waves can modify the horizon’s appearance.

Etymology: orizontul comes from the French horizon, via Latin horizon and ultimately from Greek horizos meaning boundary or limit. In Romanian literature and discourse, the horizon is often used metaphorically to denote future prospects or the boundary of the known world.

See also: orizont, horizon, astronomical horizon, geographical horizon.