The Shape of the Earth

Learn about it!

Around 500 B.C., most Greeks believed that the Earth was round, not flat. It was Pythagoras and his
pupils who were first to propose a spherical Earth.

In 500 to 430 B.C., Anaxagoras further supported Pythagoras' proposal through his observations of the
shadows that the Earth cast on the Moon during a lunar eclipse. He observed that during a lunar eclipse,
the Earth's shadow was reflected on the Moon's surface. The shadow reflected was circular.

Around 340 B.C., Aristotle listed several arguments for a spherical Earth which included the positions of
the North star, the shape of the Moon and the Sun, and the disappearance of the ships when they sail over
the horizon.

North Star
The North Star was believed to be at a fixed position in the sky. However, when the Greeks traveled to
places nearer the equator, like Egypt, they noticed that the North Star is closer to the horizon.

The Shape of the Sun and the Moon

Aristotle argued that if the Moon and the Sun were both spherical, then perhaps, the Earth was also
spherical.

Disappearing Ships
If the Earth was flat, then a ship traveling away from an observer should become smaller and smaller
until it disappeared. However, the Greeks observed that the ship became smaller and then its hull
disappeared first before the sail as if it was being enveloped by the water until it completely disappeared.
Try It!
Directions:
1. Prepare a flashlight and two ping pong balls. In a dark room, align the flashlight and the
balls horizontally.
2. Illuminate one ball with the flashlight and observe he shadow it casts on the ball behind
it.

Guide Questions:

1. What is the shape of the shadow?

2. If you use a different object, like two Rubik’s cubes instead of ping pong balls, will it cast the

same shape of shadow? Explain.

3. How is the result of the experiment related to Aristotle's arguments about the shape of the Earth?