We need to know the radius of the Earth (in meters) ≈ 6,370,000 m
We have a right triangle with a hypotenuse of the radius of the Earth + height of lighthouse above sea level = [6,370,000 + 140 + 15 ] m = 6,370,155 m
The distance from the center of the Earth to the ship is just the Earth's radius and forms one leg of the triangle
And the distance we are looking for is the other leg of the triangle = D
So....by the Pythagorean Theorem :
D = √ [ 6,370,155^2 - 6,370,000^2 ] ≈ 44,438 m = 44.438 km ≈ 27.5 miles
