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The Sun passes nearly overhead at Syene (Aswan) in latitude 24.1 degrees on June 21, but Alexandria is at latitude 31.1 degrees, which is 7 degrees more, therefore the Sun misses going overhead by about 7 degrees. This is because earth's surface is curved (the world is spherical).

The ancient Greeks knew this and they also knew the distance from Alexandria to Syene, and they multiplied the distance by 360 / 7 to give an estimate of the Earth's circumference that was surprisingly accurate.

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What led Eratosthenes to the conclusion that Syene was in adiract line between the sun and the center of the earth?

Eratosthenes concluded that Syene was in direct line with the sun and the center of the Earth based on observations of shadows cast by objects at noon during the summer solstice. In Syene, vertical objects cast no shadow, while in Alexandria, vertical objects cast a measurable shadow. By measuring the angle of the shadow in Alexandria, he inferred the curvature of the Earth and calculated the distance between the two cities, leading to his estimate of the Earth's circumference. This demonstrated that at one location, the sun was directly overhead while at another, it was at an angle, confirming the Earth's roundness.


Is the sun directly overhead in the equator?

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What did eratosthenes measure thecircumference of the earth to be?

Eratosthenes estimated the circumference of the Earth to be about 39,375 kilometers (approximately 24,662 miles). He achieved this by measuring the angle of the shadow cast by a stick in Alexandria during the summer solstice and comparing it to the angle of a stick in Syene, where the sun was directly overhead. Using the distance between the two cities, he applied basic geometry to calculate the Earth's circumference. His method was remarkably accurate for the time.


When is the sun directly overhead here in Levittown NY?

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If Earth were smaller than it is but the Alexandria-to-Syene distance were the same would the shadow of the vertical pillar in Alexandria be longer or shorter at noon during the summer solstice?

If Earth were smaller but the Alexandria-to-Syene distance remained the same, the angle of the sun's rays would change due to the decreased curvature of the Earth. This would result in a longer shadow cast by a vertical pillar in Alexandria at noon during the summer solstice, as the sun would be positioned lower in the sky compared to a larger Earth. Thus, the shorter radius of the smaller Earth would lead to a longer shadow.


Who was the doctor or scientists that used geometry to measure earth?

A man named Eratosthenes did this without leaving Egypt. He knew that at local noon on the summer solstice in Syene that the sun was directly overhead. He was a Greek astronomer living in Egypt more than 2,000 years ago.


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