In recent years, Flat Earth enthusiasts have been using high altitude balloons to prove that the Earth is flat and stationary. Proponents of the Flat Earth belief argue that, when looking out over vast distances, no curvature is visible on the horizon as would be expected if the Earth were curved or rotating.
To test this hypothesis, Flat Earthers have been launching cameras into the sky and sending them to the stratosphere on high altitude balloons. One such camera and balloon set was launched from the small town of Eureka, California in the summer of 2018. The payload was launched to an altitude of 83,953 feet, which is nearly 16 miles above the Earth's surface and greater than the altitude at which commercial aircraft fly.
The pictures and videos captured on the camera during this launch, which have since gone viral on social media, have been hailed by Flat Earth proponents as indisputable proof. The pictures do indeed show a starkly absent curve across the horizon, which appears to support the Flat Earth hypothesis.
This isn't the first time Flat Earth enthusiasts have sent cameras into the atmosphere on high altitude balloons, but these latest images have done more to boost the confidence of the Flat Earth community than any previous experiment.
Of course, just because the horizon appears flat from 16 miles up (or from any other given altitude) doesn't necessarily prove that the Earth is flat and stationary, as other factors like air refraction and the limitations of cameras can affect the way we see the horizon from a distance. Nonetheless, the Flat members feel that these photos are the most convincing evidence yet that the Earth is indeed flat.
While these photos may raise some eyebrows, it's important to note that the vast majority of the mainstream scientific community still overwhelmingly points to a curved, rotating Earth model. It is therefore highly doubtful that High Altitude Balloons will ever prove to be a completely convincing line of evidence that the Earth is flat and stationary.