Using a pendulum to find the distance to the sun

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around using a pendulum and basic mathematical principles to estimate the distance to the sun, referencing a previous lecture that combined this method with knowledge of the Earth's center and horizon. The original poster recalls the method but struggles to remember the details, prompting a request for clarification or guidance. After extensive searching, they eventually found the answer online but express a desire for others to benefit from this information without the same effort. The conversation highlights the challenge of accessing niche scientific knowledge and the importance of sharing useful resources. Sharing such insights could save others time and enhance understanding of astronomical measurements.
Mukilab
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Hello,

One or two years ago I had a mathematics lecture where one part of it was using basic formulae, a pendulum and the distance to the centre of the Earth to find out what the distance to the sun was.

Recently, I came across a question which asked me to figure out the distance to the sun however it was far more complicated and used more advanced theories than the example I was shown in the lecture.

However, I can no longer precisely remember how to do it using the method in the lecture but I can remember that it involved finding the distance to the centre of the earth, how far the horizon of the Earth was and a pendulum to find the distance to the sun.

If you know of a method along these lines, please could you inform me? It would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
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Nevermind I've trawled through the internet over the past hours and finally found the answer in a hidden niche
 
Mukilab said:
Nevermind I've trawled through the internet over the past hours and finally found the answer in a hidden niche

ohhh and are you going to share this gem so others don't also have to trawl for hours ??

cheers :)
Dave
 

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