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redpandaeater t1_j2lz1hn wrote

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

Does the refractive index of the air also play a role at all? I wouldn't imagine it would be too noticeable just looking at mountains, but if looking out over the horizon I would imagine it might.

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windchaser__ t1_j2mee8w wrote

It's less the refractive index, and more variations in the refractive index, which makes the view less crisp.

Think of how air shimmers over a hot road. The heat rising off the road causes differences in the refractive index, which causes the shimmer.

Over long distances, with a lot of these together, the view would be fuzzier.

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