Question What about the flat earth International Conference coming?

[rod]

Interesting, we have another FEIC taking place this month. Dallas TX, 14-15 November, flat earth international conference coming
I have seen many flat earth videos (since 2016), especially those teaching *astronomy* Any thoughts from the community on flat earth astronomy teaching?

 

[rod]

Okay, here are some thoughts from me concerning flat earth astronomy teaching. After watching more than several dozen videos, I find some common themes presented in the flat earth community concerning astronomy.

1. Geocentric - The flat earth is immovable. Flat earth is geocentric astronomy.
2. Gravity - there is no such thing as gravity (I was surprised to discover this teaching).
3. Stellar parallax - there is no such thing as stellar parallax. Many stars are claimed to show negative values (this is correct in some cases), thus the flat earth is not moving around the Sun but immovable.
4. Total lunar eclipses are not caused by the Moon passing through the earth's circular shadow.
5. Heliocentric solar system astronomy is completely false, i.e. *fake news*.
6. All distances to heavenly bodies are much closer than modern astronomy teaches, e.g. there are no stars thousands, millions, or billions of light-years distance. I found the flat earth geocentric astronomy concept similar to Claudius Ptolemy geocentric astronomy and Tycho Brahe - concerning distances to various bodies in the *firmament*.
7. There are flat moon videos too featuring a translucent Moon.

 

[newtons_laws]

I hope the FEIC members enjoy their 2020 cruise, thankfully the ship's Captain knows that the Earth is not flat! https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jan/09/flat-earth-cruise-nautical-navigation

 

[rod]

newtons_laws, good reminder about the 2020 cruise for FE folks. Yesterday I was able to observe the entire 5.5 hour Mercury transit using my telescope with solar filter (great fun). The FES have their Sun wiki. The Sun is 32-miles in diameter and 3,000 miles above the flat earth disk. Some citizen science groups measured the Mercury parallax and solar parallax yesterday during the transit (just like 2004, 2012, and 2016 Mercury transit). When published, the distances for Mercury and the Sun from Earth - I think will be very different than the conference teachings

 

[rod]

Today is the first day of the conference. I did view the Mercury transit on 11-Nov. Here is a thought from me on flat earth astronomy teaching after viewing the Mercury transit. [The Sun when I viewed at 71x with 1-degree true FOV, was close to 1938" angular size. Mercury disk silhouette near 10" angular size. At mid-point near 1019 EST, I could easily see Mercury near center of Sun in the FOV and the Sun's, nearly 194x larger angular size. FES Sun wiki claims the Sun is 32-miles in diameter and 3,000 miles above the flat disk earth. The Mercury transit is a great event to ask some questions about what flat earth folks claim about the size and distance of the Sun. Just how far away was Mercury? What is the size of Mercury? How much farther away from Mercury was the Sun? How large is the Sun? Both bodies were clearly visible in my telescope views. https://wiki.tfes.org/Sun, "The Sun is a revolving sphere. It has a diameter of 32 miles and is located approximately 3000 miles above the surface of the Earth"]

 

[rod]

Well the conference is over. Did the conference declare the true radius and circumference of the flat disk earth model? So far I have not seen this directly disclosed by the FE community. I do not make the assumption the radius and circumference is the same as the very, large round Earth view

 

[beginningastronomy.net]

I really can't understand the evidence that the earth is flat I think that the FE community just like saying jibber-jabber and say it's true. I mean it's 2019 C.E., not 1000B.C.E. Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth before 300 B.C.E. times and people still think it's flat. Fake News

 

[rod]

beginningastronomy.net, I concur. This morning, I listened to a local radio program discuss the FEIC at Dallas that concluded last week (among other topics on the show). The discussion was about 5 minutes long . It seems - more and more people are attracted to the flat disk earth movement - it is a happening movement, and perhaps an icon defining the culture I enjoy viewing total lunar eclipses like this past, January total lunar eclipse in Cancer. I also observe polar orbiting satellites pass over as well as see equatorial orbiting satellites when I stargaze using my binoculars and telescopes. The circular shape of the shadow that the Moon passes through during a total lunar eclipse (and perhaps the Sun is shinning on the opposite of Earth too), and large circumference outline traced north to the south and west to east by various satellite movements, suggest I live on a very large, round Earth where I enjoy observing from. I can also see the Galilean moons moving around the very, large round Jupiter and enter shadow eclipses there too, these are lunar eclipse events at Jupiter. The moons pass into Jupiter's very large shadow, grow dim in the eyepiece, disappear, only several hours later reappear on the other side of Jupiter in daylight. There are no Galilean moons moving above the flat Jupiter. I am certain what I observe when viewing our Moon, the Moon is moving above the very round - Earth too

 

[Erlica Jamero]

The earth is too big for us to look like a flat

 

[rod]

Erlica Jamero, I have problems understanding how folks today follow FE teaching. When it comes to day and night on Earth, the FE videos show a Sun moving in a circle, east to west at the *ends of the flat disk earth*, shinning like a spotlight. Part of the disk is in light, the other side is dark. Night is not the side of the round Earth rotating, where the night side is in the planet's shadow. You can see this for other planets in our solar system using good telescopes though. I recently viewed Saturn in latter September and early October (eastern quadrature time). Saturn's globe and shadow was very visible on the ring system. There is no Sun moving like a spotlight over Saturn or the other planets visible in telescopes shining like a spotlight.

 

[Tachyon]

I find it no more surprising that there are a lot of people who reject centuries of science. Just look at the 10s of millions who claim climate change is a hoax. Not to mention the 1000s of other nonsense posted in social media. I guess if they want to waste their time and money on this then let'em have at. Theres no more wasteful way to spend what precious time we have ave than by trying to convince people who hold ignorance like a religion.

 

[rod]

Did any hear or read more reports on the FEIC at Dallas TX? I.e. did some *flat earth science* get published, especially teaching about the geocentric universe and immovable Earth?

 

[Mental Avenger]

The Earth is not flat.
The Earth is not round.
The Earth is not spherical.
The Earth is an Oblate Spheroid.

 

[rod]

If earth is an oblate spheroid (Wikipedia has article on geodesy and this topic), flat earth folks reject this. Without using space probe images of Earth like from NASA, how do you show the earth is chiefly an oblate spheroid or mostly a round planet?

 

[Mental Avenger]

If earth is an oblate spheroid (Wikipedia has article on geodesy and this topic), flat earth folks reject this. Without using space probe images of Earth like from NASA, how do you show the earth is chiefly an oblate spheroid or mostly a round planet?

Do the flat earthers believe in lasers?

 

[rod]

Mental Avenger, I am not sure about lasers and flat earth teaching. What I do know, most will not accept space probes or images from orbiting satellites so perhaps satellites using lasers to measure areas on Earth supporting its shape - not likely accepted either. Space.com has reports on how the ancient Greeks showed the Earth was *round* and not flat. I commonly point to total lunar eclipses I observe and the shape of the shadow the Moon passes through, i.e. circular shape with the Sun shining on the opposite side Flat earth teachers claim Rahu or Black Sun to explain total lunar eclipses but this is Hindu astrology and astral deity. Today I was following a post on bugs on Mars report that is causing problems for life on Mars studies it appears. It seems someone may be in the FE movement posting there. They posted that the Nephilim placed life on Mars many thousands of years ago. Nephilim is common teaching in the flat earth community, taken largely from the book of Enoch. In the book of Enoch, the Nephilim are some 4,000 or 5,000 feet tall, given cubits and cubit unit conversion. I am glad you and some others are aware of the flat earth movement today. The night sky is clear now for me so I am going out to do some stargazing with my binoculars and 90-mm refractor telescope. I just came in from viewing 4 Vesta asteroid moving through Cetus - retrograde when I noticed your question. Go enjoy the weekend and if you can, get out and see some stars too

 

[Mental Avenger]

Mental Avenger, I am not sure about lasers and flat earth teaching.

I was thinking of something more basic. Shine a laser from one point on Earth to distant area on Earth. Measure the altitude above ground of the source and the target. Advance to the second point and shine a laser to third point and measure the altitude above the ground. Continue on for a long distance, across a continent.
Even better, do that between three boats in a row, with very tall masts, across calm open water.

 

[rod]

Interesting Mental Avenger. My thinking is based upon my stargazing observations. Orion is up now and rising. The belt stars will be visible nearly overhead or zenith at the equator. As you travel farther south from the northern latitudes, the belt stars will be visible at higher elevation angles at transit times. The curvature of the Earth becomes quite apparent like observing Polaris or the North Star. If you live near 40 degrees North latitude, travel south and Polaris is observed at lower altitudes the farther south you go towards the equator. Astronomy software will calculate these differences for any location on Earth, e.g. Starry Night or Stellarium. Astronomy software and telescopes use spherical trigonometry and a spinning Earth to locate targets in the night sky, i.e. convert the correct altitude and azimuth settings for you latitude and longitude on Earth to point the telescope and track the target. A telescope system built for a flat disk earth and a firmament that moves above the flat disk vs. round, rotating Earth - error, error, error I can always show people that the Earth is spinning using my telescopes too Now for some stargazing fun.

 

[Mental Avenger]

The Real Origin of the Earth

I have said unto thee that I am the creator of the universe. Do ye yet not believe? Look around thee at the wonders I have made, the heavens above and the earth below, and all the plants and trees and grasses, and all the fishes in the sea and even all the kinds of animals that I have allowed to evolve over these many millions of years. Who else could have done these things? Have I not told thee it is I, the Big Cheese? Therefore, believe it is so, for I have told thee it is so.

I have made the earth, and I have made it as flat as a pancake, yeah even as flat as a fine French crepe. But I have also made it round, so that there are no corners to hide in. Round and flat the earth I have made so that ye shall know I do a good job. Do not listen to those unbelievers who would turn thee from the righteous way and lead thee in search of a spherical earth. See with your own eyes that the earth is flat and that I have made it so. Do not journey to the north and to the south, and to the west and even unto the east to find your beginning place, for if ye do so, ye will surely fall off the edge of the earth and be swallowed in the darkness forever. Follow the right path which leadeth in a circle on the face of the flat earth and keeps thee safe.

The stars in the heavens have I planted there firmly in the firmament so that they shall not fall down upon thy heads and smite thee mightily. I have placed them there in many places, yea at many distances too, that ye may enjoy many hours at thy telescopes at a time when I cause thee to invent telescopes, and Coke and Cheetos too. All these things have I done and more that ye will know my power and believe it is I who have done this.

In good time when ye are ready I will reveal to thee that the purpose of the flat round earth is so that it might sail beneath the heavens like a Frisbee, yea even like a giant blue and green and brown Frisbee from morning until night and then from night until the morning, and not fall into the abyss unless I am having a really bad day. Therefore believe in me and my works that I might not have a bad day. If you shall fall, I will hold thee safe in my mighty hand. If the dog shall catch thee, thee are on thy own.

 

[rod]

FYI, those reading this discussion may find the report here on flat earth interesting (livescience). What If the Earth Was Flat?