Is the Earth Round or Flat? The Earth is Round, Case Closed, Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains

Since the existence of humans on Earth, people have been wondering about the actual shape of Earth that protects and provides us with every basic need to sustain life. Ancient astronomers and modern astronomers both shared different options about the actual shape of Earth. Since ancient astronomers lacked the technology to observe Earth from the outside, they mostly believed that the Earth is flat.

However, the invention of telescopes in the 17th century enabled Galileo Galilei and other scientists to discover that the Earth is round just like other distanced planets within the Solar system. Over the years, scientists discovered more fascinating evidence about the actual shape of the earth. In a recent interview, Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains physical proof that shows the earth is a sphere. What did the renowned astrophysicist think about the shape of the earth? Is the earth round? Continue reading to find out.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains why the Earth is Round

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the greatest scientists that has contributed a lot to modern science. He has continued to share his thought about the fascinating occurrence happening within our milky way galaxy and the entire universe. During an interview session with Chuck Nice, Neil deGrasse Tyson decided to explain the actual shape of the Earth to his audience on the Star Talk show. “So, tell me Neil, is the Earth flat?” Chuck Nice asked at the beginning of the interview.

“We have videos from space of the rotating spherical earth. The Earth is round,” Tyson answered revealing his first proof of the Earth’s shape. “What is odd is there are people who think Earth is flat, but recognize that the moon is round. Mercury Venus, Mars, Jupiter Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the Sun are all spheres, but the earth is flat. That’s not something that doesn’t square.”

The fact has remained that most people are confident with their beliefs about the flat earth. However, when they observe other celestial bodies that make up the solar system, they will not find any other flat planet or flat moon. Even beyond our solar system, we are yet to discover any flat celestial bodies orbiting around any star.

“Almost everything in the universe is either spheres or slight distortions of a sphere for some other thing happening to it. I mean we can just see how the favors spheres,” Tyson explains further to back his view about spherical objects that make up the universe. Neil deGrasse Tyson also explains how people can discover the actual shape of the Earth using lunar eclipses.

“With Lunar Eclipses, if you are facing the glowing sun, and this is earth, the moon is over here, the sun is always casting the Earth’s shadow into space. It is always there no matter what. So the moon occasionally passes through that shadow. And if you see the shape of Earth’s shadow on the moon, it’s always round,” Tyson explains further. “If Earth is flat, sometimes, you get like a flat shadow on the moon, but we have never seen a flat shadow. In fact, it is always the segment of an arc of a circle no matter the orientation of the moon and the sun. the only thing that makes a perfect circle shadow every single time is a perfect sphere.” He concluded.

In his recent book titled Astrophysics For People in a Hurry, Neil deGrasse Tyson explained the concept of round earth in a chapter titled on being round. This chapter explains how all the laws of physics and accounting of energy came to be as processes unfold in the Universe and how that conspire to make celestial bodies round. You can get the book from HERE.

What is the shape of the earth?

Is the earth round? Based on the physical evidence we have obtained so far from space and ground-based observatories on Earth, we can confidently say that the earth is spherical in shape. However, more discoveries have revealed that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. this implies that the earth exists as an irregularly shaped ellipsoid.

What is the real shape of the earth?

The shape of Earth from space depends on the distance the spacecraft is viewing the planet from. Earth often appears to be round when observed from a vast distance in space. However, a closer observation will reveal the irregular ellipsoid shape of the planet. The scientific discoveries about the shape of the earth should serve as evidence to demystify the concept of flat Earth.

Is the earth round or oval?

Is the earth round? Earth is spherically round. However, it does not have a perfect sphere. Most recent observations have enabled scientists to discover that earth has an irregularly shaped ellipsoid.

Is the Earth getting closer to the sun?

The earth is not getting closer to the sun. NASA revealed that the sun is moving away from the Earth over time. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). But Earth rotates around the Sun in a circular orbit that is not perfect. This orbit is partly elliptical or over oval-shaped.

Conclusion

Many people still believe that the Earth is flat. However, Neil deGrasse Tyson has used several examples to demystify the concept of a flat earth and make people believe that the earth is truly a sphere. Next time you are asked whether is the earth round or flat, you should be able to use Tyson’s explanations to answer the question. What do you think about Tyson’s view on Earth’s shape?

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