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How does observing the moons of Jupiter measure the speed of light?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
It has to do with the amount of time it takes the the light from the moon of Jupiter to reach the earth depending on if the earth is on the same side of the sun as Jupiter compared to the opposite side of the sun from Jupiter. Because of the time difference for the light to arrive, the orbit of the moons appear late in passing behind or in front of Jupiter when earth is on the opposite side of the sun from Jupiter, compared to when it is on the same side. This time difference is then the time it takes the light to travel the diameter of the earth's orbit around the sun. Velocity is then simply distance divided by time.
Of course you still need to know how to calculate the diameter of the earth's orbit around the sun in the 17th century, but that's another answer!
Look up the astronomer named Ole Christensen Rømer he was the one who noticed this first, his estimate was 11 minutes difference, and resulted in a figure of 130,000 miles per second. 186,300 miles per second or 299,792 km per second is the actual speed.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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When did scientists attempt to measure the speed of light?
Are you asking when the speed of light was first estimated, or are you asking when the speed of light was first actually measured?
Who was The first person to prove that light did not travel at infinite speed?
Olaus Rømer, by observing the movement of Jupiter's moons.
What is the source of light for Jupiter and its moon?
Jupiter and its moons get light from the same source we do: the sun.
How did the moons of Jupiter influence society?
It is just thought that the moons of Jupiter actually had living species of fish aliens that could live under the frozen ice on some of the cold moons such as europia
How does light reflect from the sun to Jupiter and its moons?
It doesn't reflect, it goes straight there.
Velocity of light was first measured by?
By Roemer, observing the moons of Jupiter.
When did scientists attempt to measure the speed of light?
Are you asking when the speed of light was first estimated, or are you asking when the speed of light was first actually measured?
How did they figure out how fast light traveled?
One of the earliest measurements was made by observing the orbits of the moons of Jupiter.
Who found the speed of light?
An early measurement was done by Ole Rømer, by observing Jupiter's moons.
Who was The first person to prove that light did not travel at infinite speed?
Olaus Rømer, by observing the movement of Jupiter's moons.
When light comes from the sun does it shine straight on Jupiter and its moons or does it shine on Jupiter then from there the light reflects to Jupiter's moons?
It shines directly on both Jupiter and its moons. There is no reason it shouldn't, as, other than periodic eclipses from Jupiter, nothing blocks the sunlight from reaching those moons. The moons do get some reflected light from Jupiter as well, just as Earth gets some light from our moon.
What is the source of light for Jupiter and its moon?
Jupiter and its moons get light from the same source we do: the sun.
Does Jupiter's moons have moons?
Jupiter's moons do not have moons. No moon in the Solar System has a moon orbiting it.
Jupiter has approximately how many moons?
Jupiter has 79 moons and there are 4 major moons; The Galilean moons named after Galileo.
Do Jupiter have any moons?
there is about 70 moons of jupiter
Which planets has the most moons?
In our Solar System, Jupiter has the most moons with 63.
What is ganymaede?
In Roman myths and legends, Ganymede was one of the many lovers of the chief god Jupiter. On first observing the four largest moons of Jupiter, Galileo gave the name Ganymede to the largest of them. (There are actually dozens of moons of Jupiter, but Galileo's telescope was only big enough to see the largest four.)
