Sage-Tips

How did we discover the shape of the Earth?

Aristotle (384-322 BC) was among the first to recognize the fact of our planet being a round sphere. He observed lunar eclipses and noticed that only a round sphere could imply a circular shadow. This astronomical observation was confirmed by general observations made at sea.

How was the size and shape of the Earth determined?

In Syene the sun is directly overhead, at noon, during the summer solstice. On solstice, in Alexandria, he measured the angle of elevation of the sun using the shadow of a vertical long stick. Then with a multiplication (the distance of Alexandria-Syene times 50) he calculated the circumference of the Earth.

What is the true shape of the earth answer?

The true shape of the earth is a sphere flattened at the poles. Such a shape is called a geoid.

What is the importance of the shape of the earth?

The Spherical Shape of the Earth. Because the Earth is a sphere, the surface gets much more intense sunlight (heat) at the equator than at the poles. During the equinox (the time of year when the amount of daylight and nighttime are approximately equal), the Sun passes directly overhead at noon on the equator.

What keeps the Earth suspended in space?

The sun’s gravity keeps Earth in orbit around it, keeping us at a comfortable distance to enjoy the sun’s light and warmth. It holds down our atmosphere and the air we need to breathe. Gravity is what holds our world together.

Who discovered the earth was floating in space?

5-22. Galileo Galilei fought colleagues and the Roman Inquisition to defend the theory that planets orbit around stars — four-hundred years later, what would he have made of the discovery of a strange planet, floating by itself a mere 80 light-years away from Earth?

What is the real shape of the planet Earth?

The Earth is an irregularly shaped ellipsoid. While the Earth appears to be round when viewed from the vantage point of space, it is actually closer to an ellipsoid.

What is the shape of the earth reason?

Explanation: It looks like circular on the side and almost flat on the poles. It is near oblong and slightly spherical, this is caused by the rotation of the earth. So when the Earth rotates, the tendency of the Earth is to bulge in the middle (equator).

What is the true shape of Earth?

Complete step by step answer: Centuries have passed and now we know that Earth isn’t flat but rather an oblate spheroid. Basically, it is almost flat at the poles and circular at the sides. It is slightly elliptical but mostly like a sphere. That is how it becomes an oblate spheroid.

How did the Ancients determine the shape of the Earth?

The ancients used basic mathematical and geometrical models, circumnavigated the earth, and observed natural phenomenon to draw conclusions about the earth’s shape. A Roman philosopher and scholar discovered that the earth is round, but people back then were disbelieving, saying “Nah, the earth is flat!”

Did the gods make the perfect shape of the Earth?

Homer strongly supported the flat earth theory, while Pythagoras, the famous mathematician, found the sphere to be the perfect figure and argued that the Gods would only have made a perfect figure for our planet. Then there was Anaximenes, who believed in a rectangular earth. Many more confusing and far more baseless theories also existed.

How did the Earth and other planets form?

Currently the accepted model on how the earth and planets in general form. Before the earth, sun and solar system were around, only tiny particles of space dust and debris were present. Something then happened to disturb these particles, possibly the explosion of a nearby star, and as a result, the sun was born.

How did the Earth become the way it is today?

This layering of the planet helped to trigger plate tectonics at the surface, and the Earth began to look a little more like the planet we know today. Most geologists think Earth’s atmosphere and oceans arrived about 4bn years ago – the product of multiple volcanic burps.