On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon

E511444

On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon is an ancient Greek astronomical treatise that presents one of the earliest known geometric attempts to quantify the relative sizes and distances of the Sun and Moon from Earth.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek astronomical treatise
astronomy book
scientific work
approximateDate 3rd century BC
author Aristarchus of Samos
basedOn angular sizes of the Sun and Moon
observations of lunar eclipses
observations of the Moon’s phases
circulatedIn Greek-speaking world
commentedOnBy Pappus of Alexandria
later Byzantine scholars
concludes Sun’s diameter is greater than Earth’s diameter
Sun’s distance is greater than 18 times the distance of the Moon
Sun’s distance is less than 20 times the distance of the Moon
field history of astronomy
history of science
focusesOn relative distances of the Sun and Moon from Earth
relative sizes of the Sun and Moon
genre mathematical astronomy
hasPart geometric propositions
numerical estimates
observational assumptions
influenced ancient estimates of cosmic scale
later Greek astronomy
language Ancient Greek
mainSubject Earth
Moon
Sun
astronomy
geometry
notableFor argument that the Sun is larger than Earth
early quantitative model of the solar system
one of the earliest geometric estimates of celestial distances
originalTitle Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης
placeOfOrigin ancient Greece
linked to: Greek Antiquity
presupposes circular orbits as approximation
spherical Earth
proposes Sun is much farther from Earth than the Moon
Sun is much larger than the Earth
linked to: the Sun
relatedWork Aristarchus’s heliocentric hypothesis
survivesAs Greek manuscript tradition
timePeriod Hellenistic period
titleVariant On the Sizes and Distances (of the Sun and Moon)
usesConcept angular diameter
similar triangles
usesMethod geometric reasoning
trigonometric approximation

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Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Aristarchus of Samos workAuthored On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon
Hellenistic astronomy hasNotableWork On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon
On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon titleVariant On the Sizes and Distances (of the Sun and Moon)
linked to: On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon
On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon originalTitle Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης
linked to: On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon
Hellenistic mathematics notableWork On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon
Hellenistic science hasKeyWork On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon