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Old 07-17-2015, 03:11 PM
 
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I read that you can see four states from the top of the Sears Tower on a clear day. Is Iowa one of them, or is the fourth one just Illinois?
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Old 07-17-2015, 03:32 PM
 
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The closest straight line distance to Iowa from the Loop is about 150 miles. Technically it might be possible to have some tiny little dot on the horizon be across the Mississippi but practically speaking, the atmosphere would totally obscure any sense of that actually being in Iowa.

Even in perfect conditions (which are typical only on the driest days, like in winter...) it is not realistic to make out anything beyond about the Fox River, which is within the "50 mile visibility" radius that is part of the "advertising"

The "four states" include Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan...

I don't wanna burst anyone's bubble, but even looking south east it is kind of hard to really see much of Indiana during the day -- this is typical:

The great big "flat area" on the lakefront that looks almost like the deck of an aircraft carrier is McCormick Place, that is just a few linear miles ...
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Old 07-17-2015, 04:42 PM
 
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That furthest point jutting out in the lake on the left is Mittel Steel, firmly ensconced in East Chicago, Indiana. It is highly visible from Chicago.
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Old 07-17-2015, 07:51 PM
 
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The line of sight formula is 1.23 times the square root of the height in feet. That is just under 50 miles. However, since the atmosphere bends light rays, it's a bit more. But not much over 50 miles.
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Old 07-18-2015, 04:06 PM
 
Location: Beautiful and sanitary DC
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Remember that the earth is curving away from you: the "line of sight" calculation that pvande55 points out takes into account the curvature of the earth.

By that formula, you could see Iowa from a three-mile-high tower. (But why would you want to?)
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Old 07-20-2015, 03:27 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paytonc View Post
Remember that the earth is curving away from you: the "line of sight" calculation that pvande55 points out takes into account the curvature of the earth.

By that formula, you could see Iowa from a three-mile-high tower. (But why would you want to?)
The sight of corn fields in full bloom ( well, almost--it's still only July) can be an impressive sight, if one gets tired of skyscrapers..
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Old 07-20-2015, 08:21 PM
 
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Originally Posted by MassVt View Post
The sight of corn fields in full bloom ( well, almost--it's still only July) can be an impressive sight, if one gets tired of skyscrapers..
You'd have to see over the windmills and ethanol plants.
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