How Do You Find The Distance From The Earth To The Sun Using An Eclipse?
You can calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun by using triangulation relationships and the concept of parallax. Parallax is defined as the perceptible displacement of an object when it is viewed from two different lines of sight. The parallax is measured by the angle of the inclination of the two lines of sight. An example of parallax is observed when two people riding in the same car (one in the back seat, the other driving) view the same dial speedometer at the same time, both observe two different speeds. Parallax is also proportional to distance; objects closer have a larger parallax than distant objects. This method of using parallax was used to determine the sun’s distance from Earth when Venus had a solar eclipse. This eclipse is commonly known as Transit of Venus. Track Venus’s path as it travels across the Sun. You need two observers on Earth at two different latitudes (“A” and “B”). The two observers track Venus as it crosses in front of the Sun. They should see th
