The Moon (Part 2)

Ron Webb wrote: Notice the dark spot all by itself near the top?� That's Mare Crisium. See how the image has rotated clockwise almost 45 degrees?� Mare Crisium is now much closer to the right side.� But it's the same moon.� It should look the same.� How can you explain this, unless the observer has rotated almost 45 degrees? And how is this possible on a flat earth?

Yes this is because the Moon is right above near the equator, so you will see it differently in the North or south.

No kidding.  If, as you say, the moon is a circular disk facing straight down at the equator, you will see it as an ellipse in the north and south.  The disk can't be exactly facing all locations simultaneously.  Also, according to your model it is only 3000 - 5000 km (or was it miles?) above the equator; so it would be quite a bit farther away in northern and southern latitudes, and therefore quite a bit smaller.

But it is none of those things.  It always appears circular, and always the same apparent diameter (within a few percent), no matter where on earth it is observed.

There is only one shape which looks like a circle from every angle, and that shape is a sphere.  There is only one way it can be the same apparent size , which is that it is so far away (hundreds of thousands of miles) that the extra distance between north and south is trivial by comparison.


Edited by Ron Webb - 28 October 2015 at 4:22pm

Abu Loren wrote: It won't be facing straight down, why would it? I've said previously that it faces the Earth at an angle.

Then it ought to appear to be an ellipse.  But it doesn't.  Ever.

I've already answered this so go back and re-read.

You mean you've already dodged it.  Even you know that things appear to get smaller as they move farther away.

Abu Loren wrote: You and your ellipse. Keep beating that drum.

Keep ignoring the obvious flaws in your theory.

But the Moon is not THAT far away. It's there right in your face.

No matter how far away it is at zenith, by your model it's twice as far away when it is 30 degrees above the horizon.  Therefore it ought to appear half the size.  This is basic geometry.  Remember my diagram?