The size of the sun

How can the size of the sun possibly be determined? what makes it 32 miles in diameter?

They don't need evidence to back things up. They are Flat Earthers.

How can the size of the sun possibly be determined? what makes it 32 miles in diameter?

By measuring the observed angle the sun makes above the horizon at different points of the earth, the distance between the earth and sun can be determined. From that and the apparent size of the sun in the sky, the actual size can be determined.

Quote from: "MHar"

How can the size of the sun possibly be determined? what makes it 32 miles in diameter?

By measuring the observed angle the sun makes above the horizon at different points of the earth, the distance between the earth and sun can be determined. From that and the apparent size of the sun in the sky, the actual size can be determined.

how can we determine the distance between the earth and the sun?

Quote from: "skeptical scientist"

By measuring the observed angle the sun makes above the horizon at different points of the earth, the distance between the earth and sun can be determined.

how can we determine the distance between the earth and the sun?

By measuring the observed angle the sun makes above the horizon at different points of the earth, we get a triangle with base and both base angles known. From there it's easy to use trig to calculate the height.

Quote from: "MHar"

Quote from: "skeptical scientist"

By measuring the observed angle the sun makes above the horizon at different points of the earth, the distance between the earth and sun can be determined.

how can we determine the distance between the earth and the sun?

By measuring the observed angle the sun makes above the horizon at different points of the earth, we get a triangle with base and both base angles known. From there it's easy to use trig to calculate the height.

But I thought the Sun moved unpredictably in FE.

I don't recall hearing anything about that.

I don't recall hearing anything about a definite pattern of the Sun, and how that pattern is maintained.

But I thought the Sun moved unpredictably in FE.

No no no, this is entirely false. The sun moves in a circle approximately over the equator (i.e. the circle centered at the north pole with radius half that of the earth), but whose radius varies seasonally, so during the summer it circles over the tropic of cancer and in winter over the tropic of capricorn. The motion is entirely predictable, but even if it weren't, it would be irrelevent to the experiment I described, as the whole point is that you are taking measurements at the same time at two different locations.

Hmmm.... Pathological ignorance. It sounds like a solid explanation to me.