Disproving Flat Earth and Geocentrism with Astronomy: Our place in the Solar System
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...