Under ideal conditions, the human eye can see an airplane with a wingspan of 15 meters from up to 45 kilometers away. This is because the angular resolution of the human eye is about 0.02 degrees, meaning you can just barely distinguish a 0.3-meter object at a distance of 1 kilometer.
However, it's important to remember that this is just a theoretical maximum. The actual distance at which you can see a plane depends on various factors, including:
- Weather: Clear skies with no clouds or haze provide optimal visibility.
- Altitude: The higher the plane flies, the farther away it can be seen.
- Size and Brightness of the Plane: Larger and brighter planes are easier to spot.
- Individual Vision: Some people have better eyesight than others, which can affect visibility.
Therefore, while it's possible to see a plane from a great distance under perfect conditions, it's usually not possible to identify it as a plane at that range. You might just see a faint dot in the sky.
