We all know the Earth isn’t flat—it’s a sphere that orbits the sun, just like the other planets in our solar system. This fact has been confirmed countless times by scientists, astronauts, and even viral YouTube experiments. But despite the overwhelming evidence, Flat Earthers continue to challenge this reality.
Recently, one Flat Earther managed to score an unexpected win in an online debate, thanks to a misleading selfie taken on Mount Everest.
The controversy began when a Reddit user, u/amazed_spirit, posted a selfie on the subreddit r/pics, claiming it was taken at the summit of Mount Everest. The caption read, “Checkmate Flat Earth Society,” with the Earth’s horizon appearing noticeably curved in the background.
At first glance, it seemed like a solid argument against Flat Earth theories. However, it didn’t take long for the post to unravel.
Commenters quickly pointed out that the curvature visible in the photo was not evidence of a round Earth but rather the result of a fisheye lens, which distorts images to create a curved effect.
As user u/SadConfiguration explained, “You can’t see the curvature of the Earth from the top of Everest. That’s a fisheye lens. Flat Earthers are a waste of skin, but don’t be fooled into thinking you can see the curvature of the Earth from 29,000 feet. If that were true, you could see it from plane windows.”
Another user, whose account has since been deleted, added, “There is better evidence of Earth being a globe than a fisheye-lens photo—namely, science done thousands of years ago and verified ad nauseum.”
The scientific consensus supports these claims. According to World Atlas, a person standing on the summit of Mount Everest, which is 29,030 feet above sea level, can see up to 230 miles into the distance.
However, this is still far too low to observe the Earth’s curvature, which requires an altitude of at least 35,000 feet.
Seizing the opportunity, Flat Earther Pete Svarrior conducted a reverse image search and discovered that the photo wasn’t even taken by the Reddit user. Instead, it was an image captured in 2012 by photographer Dean Carriere using a GoPro Hero3-Silver Edition with a 16mm focal length lens.
Svarrior shared his findings on the Flat Earth Society forums, explaining that the lens’s ultra-wide-angle design caused significant distortion, creating the illusion of a curved horizon.
Svarrior also noted that even after correcting for the lens distortion, a slight curve remained in the image. He attributed this to “imperfections in both the lens and the correction algorithm,” rather than evidence of a round Earth.
While the Reddit post ultimately failed to prove the Earth’s curvature, it did highlight the importance of scrutinizing evidence and understanding the tools used to capture images.
For Flat Earthers, this was a rare victory in a debate they typically lose. For the rest of us, it’s a reminder that while the Earth is indeed round, not every curved horizon in a photo is proof of it.
