Related papers: A measurement of the Earth's radius for high schoo…
We present a classroom based activity using a sunrise photograph of Mont Blanc shadow taken from Geneva to estimate the Earth radius. By determining the direction of solar rays relative to the local vertical and accounting for atmospheric…
It is shown how repeated observations of the sunset from various points up a tall building can be used to determine the Earth's radius. The same observations can also be used, at some latitudes, to deduce an approximate value for the amount…
I describe how to obtain a rather good experimental determination of the eccentricity of the Earth orbit, as well as the obliquity of the Earth rotation axis, by measuring, over the course of a year, the elevation of the Sun as a function…
In this work, we measure the volumetric mean radius of the Earth, reproducing the historical experiment of Eratosthenes, carried out around 240 BC, in the ancient cities of Siena and Alexandria. Here, we perform measurements in the cities…
Parallax is the most important astronomical method for determining the distances from the Earth to nearby stars. We present two hands-on activities that explore the concepts and practice of parallax measurement. The first activity is a…
It is straightforward to determine the size of the Earth and the distance to the Moon without making use of a telescope. The methods have been known since the 3rd century BC. However, few amateur or professional astronomers have worked this…
On January 20th, 2019, a total lunar eclipse was possible to be observed in Santiago, Chile. Using a smartphone attached to a telescope, photographs of the phenomenon were taken. With Earth's shadow on those images, and using textbook…
The field of extrasolar planets is still, in comparison with other astrophysical topics, in its infancy. There have been about 300 or so extrasolar planets detected and their detection has been accomplished by various different techniques.…
We significantly constrain the sky position, distance, and mass of a possible additional, distant planet in the solar system by examining its influence on the distance between Earth and the Cassini Spacecraft. Our preferred region is…
For millenia, sailors have used the empirical rule that the elevation angle of Polaris, the North Star, as measured by sextant, quadrant or astrolabe, is approximately equal to latitude. Here, we show using elementary trigonometry that…
We report on a determination of the Earth-Moon distance performed by students of an Italian high school, based on measurements of the time delay of the "echo" in the radio communications between Nasa mission control in Houston and the…
The classical method for measure the Earth-Sun distance is due to Aristarchus and it is based upon the measure of the angle Moon-Earth-Sun when the Moon is exactly in quadrature. Such an angle is only 9 arcminutes smaller than 90 degrees,…
For the first time, an Italian University has the possibility to perform a multi-year observing campaign at a world-class telescope. This hands-on experience had a significant impact on the students' university path: from learning specific…
In this paper we approach the astronomy teaching process for the students in computer sciences through the controlled investigation method on real astronomical data, using data reduction and quality control of the astrometry of near-Earth…
The traceroute utility on any computer connected to the Internet can be used to record the roundtrip time for small Internet packets between major Internet traffic hubs. Some of the routes include transmission over transoceanic fiber optic…
Earth-like extra-solar planets may be detected with 1-2m class telescopes using the gravitational microlensing technique. The essential requirement is the ability to be able to carry out continuous observations of the galactic bulge. A…
A measurement by microlensing of the planetary mass function of planets with masses ranging from 5M_E to 10M_J and orbital radii from 0.5 to 10 AU was reported recently. A strategy for extending the mass range down to (1-3)M_E is proposed…
The field of extrasolar planets has rapidly expanded to include the detection of planets with masses smaller than that of Uranus. Many of these are expected to have little or no hydrogen and helium gas and we might find Earth analogs among…
The Earth's albedo is a fundamental climate parameter for understanding the radiation budget of the atmosphere. It has been traditionally measured from space platforms, but also from the ground for sixteen years from Big Bear Solar…
Earth-like planets are expected to provide the greatest opportunity for the detection of life beyond the Solar System. However our planet cannot be considered a fair sample, especially if intelligent life exists elsewhere. Just as a…