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LostInParadise's avatar

What is the origin of the story about Eratosthenes? Did anyone make the calculation for the Earth’s circumference?

LostInParadise's avatar

Even if the Sun were only a few thousand miles away, for the distance between the two cities, the rays would be close to parallel. The only way to account for having a shadow in one place but not the other would be due to the curvature of the Earth.

Pinguidchance's avatar

The video is entitled, “FLAT EARTH Erastosthenes DEBUNKED!”

Does that give you a clue?

In 2012, Anthony Abreu Mora repeated Eratosthenes’s calculation with more accurate data; the result was 40,074 km (24,901 mi), which is 66 km (41 mi) different (0.16%) from the currently accepted polar circumference of the Earth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eratosthenes

zenvelo's avatar

A GIF of a baby saying “NO” does not prove a statement false.

flutherother's avatar

No, Erasthothenes reputation is safe. The objections raised by the video aren’t valid. For example the video argues that light rays from the sun can’t be parallel as they don’t look that way when you see them shining against cloud or mist. Neither do train tracks when you see them meet at an apparent point on the horizon due to perspective.

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