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daveescaped t1_j2kxr2b wrote

Reply to comment by morphballganon in Does cold temperature make vistas more 'crisp' looking? by colorado_hick

How is that different than saying, “dry air is more clear”? And wouldn’t that be so regardless of temperature?

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Dont____Panic t1_j2l2s7u wrote

Summer sun also creates convection currents that distort light.

So both dry and cool (which often go together) make clearer views.

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solarish t1_j2lfwao wrote

More specifically, it is the increased variance in refractivity (due to convection) that distorts light.

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cstheory t1_j2l2vmw wrote

What about those waves you see from heat. I bet that effect is involved too

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IlexAquifolia t1_j2lgu5e wrote

Dry air is clearer regardless of temperature, but warm air holds moisture more easily, so cold air is more likely to be dry and clear.

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