Can you see Malta from Sicily?

Answer 1

If you go on the Red Tower's roof (It-Torri l-Ahmar) at Mellieha, you can somewhat see the Etna!

In theory you should be able to see Etna from anywhere on Malta that has an uninterrupted approximately north facing sea view even at a few meters above sea level, because for example from Sliema the distance to Etna is approx 207km, which is 1.8643 degrees of the world as a circle (186/40030*360). At 3m above sea level, the horizon would be 0.0556 degrees away (=3.33 minutes) using basic trigonometry (tangent of circle of radius 6371 and find angle of tangent at horzion, subtract from 1.8643 degrees gives 1.8087 degrees between the horizon and Etna.) So your line of vision past the horizon reaches Etna at altitude 3.166km, and as Etna is 3.329km high it should protrude 163 meters above the horizon. At a distance of 207km the visible part of Etna takes 0.0451 degrees (2.7 minutes) of your field of vision. Human visual acuity of 1 minute (1/60th of a degree) is defined as 20:20. Etna should look like a 2.4mm object from 3m. The real life viewability depends on haze of the atmosphere. Maybe an object rising to 2.7 minutes above the horizon could be completely obscured by haze. Look at compass bearing 12 degrees which is approximately North-North-East from Sliema.

So the answer is yes in theory, but in practice the clearer the day, the higher your altitude, and the further north on Malta or Gozo, the better chance you can see it.

Maybe Mdina city wall facing north would be a good place at 190m altitude on a clear day. That is 212.3km from Etna, but at that altitude, 1.24km of Etna should be visible, which forms 0.33 degrees (20 minutes) of your field of view - should looks like 1.8cm (18mm) at 3m.

Answer 2

If you go on the Red Tower's roof (It-Torri l-Ahmar) at Mellieha, you can somewhat see the Etna!

In theory you should be able to see Etna from anywhere on Malta that has an uninterrupted approximately north facing sea view even at a few meters above sea level, because for example from Sliema the distance to Etna is approx 207km, which is 1.8643 degrees of the world as a circle (186/40030*360). At 3m above sea level, the horizon would be 0.0556 degrees away (=3.33 minutes) using basic trigonometry (tangent of circle of radius 6371 and find angle of tangent at horzion, subtract from 1.8643 degrees gives 1.8087 degrees between the horizon and Etna.) So your line of vision past the horizon reaches Etna at altitude 3.166km, and as Etna is 3.329km high it should protrude 163 meters above the horizon. At a distance of 207km the visible part of Etna takes 0.0451 degrees (2.7 minutes) of your field of vision. Human visual acuity of 1 minute (1/60th of a degree) is defined as 20:20. Etna should look like a 2.4mm object from 3m. The real life viewability depends on haze of the atmosphere. Maybe an object rising to 2.7 minutes above the horizon could be completely obscured by haze. Look at compass bearing 12 degrees which is approximately North-North-East from Sliema.

So the answer is yes in theory, but in practice the clearer the day, the higher your altitude, and the further north on Malta or Gozo, the better chance you can see it.

Maybe Mdina city wall facing north would be a good place at 190m altitude on a clear day. That is 212.3km from Etna, but at that altitude, 1.24km of Etna should be visible, which forms 0.33 degrees (20 minutes) of your field of view - should looks like 1.8cm (18mm) at 3m.

Answer 3

who had done these calculation. Please