and what if it were nearer or farther away?--how would that affected us today
2006-12-18 05:14:44 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Finding the distance between two planets (or stars) isnt that hard. its dont by taking a laser or beam of light and pointing it at the sun. now some light will be reflected back and when it gets back scientists take the time it took and divided it buy the speed of light. that will give you the distance.
2006-12-18 05:53:24 · answer #1 · answered by Richie B. 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The planets formed from a protosolar nebula. Planets tend to form at a lot of different distances from the Sun, but they tend to have nearly circular orbits, because the gas on circular streamlines tends to loose less energy than gas on other orbits. The early solar system had more planets than it does today; the "extra" planets fell into the sun or were kicked out into interstellar space. The result is eight planets in stable orbits at various distances from the Sun.
The Earth happened to be the planet that formed at the distance from the Sun where water is liquid. The Earth, therefore, is the planet where life evolved and that is why you are 93 million miles from the Sun.
2006-12-18 07:59:02 · answer #2 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Earth's orbit around the sun is the result of two things:
1 - The gravitational attraction between the Earth and the Sun. This is based on the mass of the Earth and the Sun; they exert a specific attraction on each other that pulls them toward each other.
2 - The speed at which the Earth revolves around the Sun. This speed precisely counteracts the gravitational attraction, so the Earth never moves more than a small fraction of the distance away from the Sun, throughout its entire annual journey around the Sun.
Again, this precise balance is the natural, mathematical result of the speed and mass of the Solar System. All other bodies in the Solar System follow the same laws of weight, mass and attraction, which is why their orbits are where they are.
2006-12-18 05:30:29 · answer #3 · answered by Scott F 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The earth and everything else in a 93 million mile radius of the sun
2016-05-23 04:38:26 · answer #4 · answered by Diane 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The distance to the Sun has been measured in 1884 with the help of a very rare astronomical phenomena : the transit from Venus through the Sun. With the help of the parallax method and hundreds of precise measurements of this event, the Earth had finally a place in our solar system : 93 millions of miles.
2006-12-18 10:00:42 · answer #5 · answered by dimimo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It varies during it's orbit and the average is 93 million miles. If it were 1 foot away, it would make virtually no difference. If it were 10,000 miles away, it would make more of a difference, and if it were 20 million miles more, it would make a bigger difference.
Nobody "set" the mark. We discovered it. It's like finding out that your house is 3 miles from the nearest lake. It wasn't "set" that distance on purpose, it just happens to be.
2006-12-18 06:06:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one "set" that mark, that's just the distance. There was no "distance-setting conference" way back 5 billion years ago that decided "Earth will be 93 million miles from the sun", etc.
2006-12-18 14:11:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
93 million miles....we don't know! People say we know what is gonna happen to us, but how can we, if we don't even know our past??? I don't belive in the Big bang theory which made the su in its mark....
Well, if the sun was nearer we would be toasted in a second...and if the sun was farther we would be snow people!
Plants wouldn't grow in both conditions. The weather mgith make a huge diffrenece...I mean it will change the way of life!
2006-12-18 07:26:09 · answer #8 · answered by AD 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Life just so happened to evolve 93 mill's from the sun....today we are looking to Mars for a cool life-style...
2006-12-18 05:22:08 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God set the mark and If it were any closer to earth we wouldnt be here because we would burn and if it were any further away we also wouldnt be here because we would freeze!!
2006-12-19 14:30:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋