Book:Aristarchus of Samos/On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon

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Aristarchus of Samos: Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης

Published $\text {\text {c. $260$ BCE}}$
In English:

On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon


Subject Matter


Contents

A deduction that the Sun lies about $18$ to $20$ times as far away from Earth as does the Moon.

His method was correct, but his measurements were inaccurate.

The actual value is more like $400$.

However, this was an improvement over the estimate of Eudoxus of Cnidus, who argued for $10$.


Sources