- doesn't move around the earth
2007-07-17 07:34:29 · 8 answers · asked by professorgriff321 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The most convincing argument for the Earth orbiting the Sun is the retrograde motions of the planets. But of course that motion has been known since the time of Ptolemy and before. It was just rationalized as being some kind of odd motion of the planets because the simpler explanation, that the Earth is one of those planets orbiting the Sun, was contradicted by the lack of evidence of any motion of the Earth. The best evidence that Earth is rotating would be a Foucault pendulum. I have tried making one, but it is really hard, because any little asymmetry in how you hang the string just makes it move in some random way, not correctly showing the rotation of Earth at all.
2007-07-17 07:53:55 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although at that time we would have the technology to conclusively prove that the Earth was round, we probably didn't have accurate enough astronomical equipment to prove that all the planets orbited the same point (the Sun).
2007-07-17 07:46:56 · answer #2 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I would first prove to them that Mercury and Venus orbit the sun. This would be very easy as both of these planets exhibit full sets of phases. Then... get the picture?
2007-07-17 20:13:38 · answer #3 · answered by ThePhysicsSolutions.com 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At that time I don't think I would be able to prove the Sun is at the Solar System's center because I would follow the science of that day (whatever little there was of it) just as I do today.
2007-07-17 07:42:13 · answer #4 · answered by A.R 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, the first thing someone would need to do would be to write like an educated person. In Copernicus' time, that would mean writing in Latin ... and here, today, in English.
2007-07-17 09:09:10 · answer #5 · answered by 62,040,610 Idiots 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Come to that, how would you have persuaded Copernicus that the orbits of celestial bodies were elliptical, not circular as he was committed to assuming?
2007-07-17 07:55:00 · answer #6 · answered by Girly Brains 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm surprised that the erudite previous answerers have bothered with this. It must be their day off!
Personally, I wouldn't bother other than to say if you can't put it in English, go to the website where you can speak your mother tongue.
Just points up the ignorant predjudices of us uneducated working class oiks I suppose ....
2007-07-17 11:18:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you lived at that time you be more concerned with where your next mess of pottage was coming from, and how would you avoid getting smallpox
2007-07-17 07:39:45 · answer #8 · answered by SeabourneFerriesLtd 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋