Because even the Sun is not at the same spot. Actually, it's not really clear what "the same spot" means, physically. At the end of the day it's a coordinate choice. A good choice of coordinates alone is sometimes worth a solution to an otherwise unsolvable problem. In general relativity, for example, one can assume that the Earth is standing still and the entire universe revolves around it.
-- Jan On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 04:02, Bill O'Neill <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi All: > Why do people in the 21st century incorrectly continue to say "the sun > moves" across the sky? > We know the sun is generally and at all times in the same spot. > The truth, as we know and accept, is the earth moves. All of the phenomena > that happens because of the daily rotation and the year long trip around the > orbit is fascinating and proves how wrong was the idea that the sun moves. > It's not that our eyes give wrong information but that the mind came to very > wrong conclusions because of wrong conclusions about the information. Wrong > ideas are serious and to be avoided. Wrong ideas about the moving earth and > stationary sun got Bruno burned at the stake and Galileo thrown in prison > but the truth about the universe finally came out. > Perhaps it's easier to explain to children that the sun is moving but why > not explain to them as early as possible that the sun is in the same spot, > just like everything stays in the same spot as they move? They would grasp > the idea that shadows of the same things are different depending where they > are on the globe. They would learn the correct way to think about so many > phenomena, especially about sundials, instead of the age-old wrong ways. > > Regards and enjoy the coming solstice. > Bill O'Neill > Holland, PA. USA --------------------------------------------------- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
