2006-07-25 06:51:21 · 10 answers · asked by Rocky 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Modern methods are well described by the other answers, but how did we first know the distance? Read the source below to see how you can get a pretty good estimate of the Moon's distance by using only geometry and these 3 other measured values:
1) The diameter of the Earth.
2) The size of the Earth's shadow on the Moon during a Lunar eclipse.
3) The fact that the Moon and Sun appear the same size in the sky.
Pretty clever, these ancient Greeks!
2006-07-25 08:45:56 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Astronauts left a mirror on the moon back in the 70s and scientists on earth bounce a laser beam off it to get an accurate distance these days.. it's going away at about 4cm a year.
2006-07-25 13:54:45 · answer #2 · answered by bigscary_monster 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You use a laser, a large telescope, and an atomic clock.
Fire the laser at the Moon and its reflection will return from the retroreflectors left on the Moon by astronauts. These are precision dihedral reflectors and return a beam that strikes them back in the direction it came from.
Using the atomic clock, you time the pulse - when it left and when it returns. Divide the travel time by two and you have the one-way trip time of the laser light.
Now divide that one-way trip time by 299,792,458 and you will get your distance in meters.
2006-07-25 14:00:45 · answer #3 · answered by aichip_mark2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we can calculate the distance between the earth and the moon using a laser beam. initially, a number of laser beams are sent towards the surface of the moon. These beams will surely be reflected by the moon's surface. by calculating the speed(say s) of the laser beam(299792458 meter per second) and the time taken by the reflected laser beam to reach the earth's surface, we can calculate the distance using the following formula
distance, d = 2*s*t
where,
s = speed of the laser beam
t = time taken by the reflected laser beam to reach the earth surface.
2006-07-25 14:15:08 · answer #4 · answered by s s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How does one measure how many roads a man has walked down? Hm
2006-07-25 13:56:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
With a laser in more modern times. By triangulation a little farther back in time.
2006-07-25 13:54:49 · answer #6 · answered by Saphira 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
with a tape measure of course
2006-07-25 13:56:11 · answer #7 · answered by Toomg 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a very long tape messure
2006-07-25 13:54:29 · answer #8 · answered by Neal J 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well go up there and find out for urself since u are that desparate to know...
2006-07-25 13:53:42 · answer #9 · answered by Toplar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know but I heard its made of cheese
2006-07-25 13:57:00 · answer #10 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋