![]() In some cases, refraction can even make the Earth's surface appear curved in a concave direction. Importantly, the amount of refraction varies depending on environmental conditions. ![]() This refracts light waves (including the laser beam) down. This is because the water tends to cool the air close to it, creating a temperature and density gradient close to the surface. Light rays are usually bent towards the surface of a large body of water. ![]() If you watch a long-range laser experiment that doesn't even mention atmospheric refraction or beam divergence, the experiment is incomplete and it's safe to assume the experimenter doesn't really know how to conduct this type of research. It is therefore surprising how many laser level experiments do not account for these issues. Sailors navigating by the sky avoid stars that are too close to the horizon because their positions are distorted by refraction. Surveyors must minimize and account for refraction. Indeed, atmospheric refraction is a known problem in many fields. Anyone can see that laser beams spread out over distance (although it's hard to measure exactly), and that refraction happens when light travels through a medium of varying density.
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