The distance between France and England is around 20 miles at the nearest point. It’s so close that on a clear day, you can see the French coast from the White Cliffs of Dover, but is it really possible to see as far as Paris from London?
That's the question that's been on some Londoners' lips after they spotted what looked like the Eiffel Tower from high vantage points in central London.
Stunned by what they were seeing in the distance, one Londoner took a photograph of the landmark and shared it on social media. After asking other Londoners for their opinion, people joked that it could only be the famous structure.
Responding to the photo that was posted on Reddit, one Londoner said: "It's the Eiffel Tower obviously." Agreeing with the comment, another replied: "Legends say when it’s sunny, you can see the Eiffel Tower from the top of the Shard."
Someone who recently visited London for the first time and wasn’t entirely sure how far Paris actually was from London admitted that they thought this was actually true. They said: "I went to a job interview in the Leadenhall building, looked at the window and saw it. I knew there was a train that would take you from London to Paris, so I thought it would be super close and that for sure had to be the Eiffel Tower."
Another recent visitor to London said: "When I visited London I was so sleep deprived, from trying to see everything I could in a week, that by the time I saw this I was positive it was the Eiffel Tower across the channel."
While several claimed the sighting was confirmation that the Earth was flat, someone dared disagree that the landmark in the distance was the Eiffel Tower, insisting instead that it was the Blackpool Tower.
More ambitiously, perhaps, another suggested the structure could be the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, some 3,500 miles away.
But the truth behind the mysterious landmark is really a lot closer to home. As a more geographically-aware Londoner explained, what people are seeing from Central London is actually the Crystal Palace Transmission Tower, also known as the Arqiva Tower.
Situated in Crystal Palace Park, the tower was originally built in 1956 to broadcast television signals for the London area. Standing at 219 metres tall, its design was indeed influenced by the Eiffel Tower but it has long become an iconic symbol of London's skyline.
This might come as a disappointment to flat-earthers, but as one person responding to the post put it, it would be "so cool" if we could see Paris from London. You'll need some very strong binoculars, I'm afraid.
Got a story you think we should be covering? Email ertan.karpazli@reachplc.com.
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