A practical method to measure Earth's shape using star occultations offers a new approach to a long-standing question.
This memoir explains how observing the way stars disappear behind the Moon can reveal the planet’s true figure, independent of any single theory.
The author lays out a clear path from theory to observation. By focusing on precise timings and careful corrections, the book shows how small differences in parallax at different latitudes can map the curvature of the Earth. It also discusses the challenges of measurement, and why certain occultations provide the most reliable data for testing the globe’s geometry.
- Learn how occultations translate star positions into measurements of Earth’s curvature.
- Understand what makes a timing observation accurate, and where to look for potential errors.
- Discover which viewing conditions and locations maximize the chance of useful data.
- See why coordinated observations across many places can gradually reveal the true figure of the Earth.
Ideal for readers interested in the history of science, practical astronomy, and methods that connect observation with large-scale questions about our planet. This edition stands as a concise, accessible entry point into the idea that careful, independent observation can illuminate fundamental truths about the earth we inhabit.