

What are the circular spots of light seen on the ground beneath a tree on a sunny day? These are pinhole images of the Sun. Why did Aristarchus choose the time of a half Moon to make his measurements for calculating the Earth-Sun distance? The Earth, Moon, and Sun formed a right triangle at that time. How does the Moon's diameter compare with the distance between Earth and the Moon? The Moon's diameter is 1/110 the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Why does this shadow taper? The sun is much larger than the Earth. Earth, like everything else illuminated by the Sun, casts a shadow. When the Sun was directly overhead in Syene, why wasn't it directly overhead in Alexandria? The Earth is a sphere. What is science? 1) Science describes the order in nature and the causes of that order.Ģ) Science is a way of knowing about them world and making sense of it.ģ) Science creates testable laws and theories. Both geocentric and heliocentric Why was the geocentric model the leading theory for such a long time, even though the heliocentric model more simply explained the observed motions and brightness of the planets? 1) The heliocentric model did not make noticeably better predictions than the geocentric model.Ģ) The geocentric model conformed to both the philosophical and religious doctrines of the time.ģ) Ancient astronomers did not observe stellar parallax, which would have provided evidence in favor of the heliocentric model.Ĥ) From Earth, all heavenly bodies appeared to circle around a stationary Earth. Planetary orbits and motions bases on Greek ideologies of perfect form and motion 1. Rooted in widely accepted religious beliefs regarding Earth's place in the universeĤ. Predicted planetary positions accurately over relatively short time periodsģ. Explained planetary motions and brightness changes most simplyĢ.

different orbital speeds of the planets Sort each statement according to whether it is an advantage of the heliocentric model, the geocentric model, or both:ġ. In order to explain retrograde motion, Copernicus uses the _ as an explanation to the seemingly backward motion of the planets in the sky.
