Playing Devil's advocate, couldn't that curve we're seeing be the "edge" heading back towards the observer?, that would give the appearance of a curve, no?
If you were looking at a disk and could see the curved edge, than you should be able to see the entire known landmasses, and the ice wall, and the further continents unknown to us beyond the ice wall, before you see the curved edge of the disc.
I thought that as well, until I read Auguste Picard's 1937 balloon account, where he stated that, upon reaching his balloon's max elevation (don't remember how high he got) He stated that the "edge" looked like an "upturned plate". He left England, and landed somewhere on continental Europe. I would think that his use of "plate" implies he believed the "edge" to be round. Alas, I can't go beyond the 8oth south parallel to verfiry , per treaty.
Playing Devil's advocate, couldn't that curve we're seeing be the "edge" heading back towards the observer?, that would give the appearance of a curve, no?
If you were looking at a disk and could see the curved edge, than you should be able to see the entire known landmasses, and the ice wall, and the further continents unknown to us beyond the ice wall, before you see the curved edge of the disc.
I thought that as well, until I read Auguste Picard's 1937 balloon account, where he stated that, upon reaching his balloon's max elevation (don't remember how high he got) He stated that the "edge" looked like an "upturned plate". He left England, and landed somewhere on continental Europe. I would think that his use of "plate" implies he believed the "edge" to be round. Alas, I can't go beyond the 8oth south parallel to verfiry , per treaty.