__NOTOC__
thumb in Ladakh, India
A gravity hill
, also known as a magnetic hill
(and sometimes a mystery hill
or a gravity road
), is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Thus, a car left out of gear will appear to be rolling uphill. There are hundreds of gravity hill locations around the world.
|
MAGNETIC HILL TICKETS
|
Explanation
The slope of gravity hills is an optical illusion, although tour guides may claim natural or even
supernatural forces are at work. The most important factor contributing to the illusion is a completely or mostly obstructed
horizon; without a horizon, judging the slope of a surface is difficult as a reliable reference is missing. Objects one would normally assume to be more-or-less
perpendicular to the ground (such as trees) may actually be leaning, offsetting the visual reference.
These "
paranormal" sites also tend to have names like "Haunted Hill", "Magnetic Hill", or "
Anti-gravity Hill", reflecting attribution of the properties of the area to such "mysteries" as the supernatural or
magnetism. While humans also have a
sense of balance to determine the inclination of the ground, visual cues can override this sense, especially if the inclination is shallow.
See also
- List of magnetic hills, a list of geographical gravity hill and their locations.