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Proving Earth's Rotation with Astronomy

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 A phenomenon I have noticed is the apparent rotation of celestial objects as they move across the sky. Sun spots and the rings of Saturn are prime examples of features that can be monitored to examine this apparent rotation. The objects are not really rotating at this speed, this is an artifact from the rotation of the earth. This proves both that the earth is round and in motion. These two facts are increasingly in doubt in a surge of new age conspiracy theories that proliferate on social media. As the objects move across the sky, the angle of our observation changes due to the earth's rotation. The object itself is not moving nearly as fast relative to us as the earth is rotating. The sun is essentially fixed in place in the center of the solar system (and it rotates slowly), and Saturn's revolution around the sun is so slow that its effect on our daily observation is basically zero.  As Saturn rises in the night sky, for example, we see it at a low elevation. At this point...
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Disproving Flat Earth and Geocentrism with Astronomy: Our place in the Solar System

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  By Jackson E. Roe Pseudoscientific beliefs are on the rise in the Western world. Conspiracy theories about human spaceflight run rampant. The belief that the earth is flat, or that the sun orbits the earth are becoming ever more common notions among the public. I have set out to make astronomical observations and interview scientists and astronauts to refute these conspiratorial beliefs. A popular belief among Geocentrists is that the earth is not in motion. There are several ways to refute this. A long exposure photograph on the equatorial plane in the night sky will show stars streaking across the background. However, some points of light will not create streaks. These are geostationary satellites that move with the earth’s rotation. Geocentrists contend that the universe moves around the earth. A simple long exposure photograph of geostationary satellites proves that the earth is in fact in motion. As the earth goes through its daily rotation, the stars create streaks in the l...
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