On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon

E511444

On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon is an ancient Greek astronomical treatise that presents one of the earliest known geometric attempts to quantify the relative sizes and distances of the Sun and Moon from Earth.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek astronomical treatise ⓘ
astronomy book ⓘ
scientific work ⓘ
approximateDate 3rd century BC ⓘ
author Aristarchus of Samos ⓘ
basedOn angular sizes of the Sun and Moon ⓘ
observations of lunar eclipses ⓘ
observations of the Moon’s phases ⓘ
circulatedIn Greek-speaking world ⓘ
commentedOnBy Pappus of Alexandria ⓘ
later Byzantine scholars ⓘ
concludes Sun’s diameter is greater than Earth’s diameter ⓘ
Sun’s distance is greater than 18 times the distance of the Moon ⓘ
Sun’s distance is less than 20 times the distance of the Moon ⓘ
field history of astronomy ⓘ
history of science ⓘ
focusesOn relative distances of the Sun and Moon from Earth ⓘ
relative sizes of the Sun and Moon ⓘ
genre mathematical astronomy ⓘ
hasPart geometric propositions ⓘ
numerical estimates ⓘ
observational assumptions ⓘ
influenced ancient estimates of cosmic scale ⓘ
later Greek astronomy ⓘ
language Ancient Greek ⓘ
mainSubject Earth ⓘ
Moon ⓘ
Sun ⓘ
astronomy ⓘ
geometry ⓘ
notableFor argument that the Sun is larger than Earth ⓘ
early quantitative model of the solar system ⓘ
one of the earliest geometric estimates of celestial distances ⓘ
originalTitle Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης ⓘ
placeOfOrigin ancient Greece ⓘ
linked to: Greek Antiquity
presupposes circular orbits as approximation ⓘ
spherical Earth ⓘ
proposes Sun is much farther from Earth than the Moon ⓘ
Sun is much larger than the Earth ⓘ
linked to: the Sun
relatedWork Aristarchus’s heliocentric hypothesis ⓘ
survivesAs Greek manuscript tradition ⓘ
timePeriod Hellenistic period ⓘ
titleVariant On the Sizes and Distances (of the Sun and Moon) ⓘ
usesConcept angular diameter ⓘ
similar triangles ⓘ
usesMethod geometric reasoning ⓘ
trigonometric approximation ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Aristarchus of Samos → workAuthored → On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon ⓘ
Hellenistic astronomy → hasNotableWork → On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon ⓘ
On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon → titleVariant → On the Sizes and Distances (of the Sun and Moon) ⓘ
linked to: On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon
On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon → originalTitle → Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης ⓘ
linked to: On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon
Hellenistic mathematics → notableWork → On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon ⓘ
Hellenistic science → hasKeyWork → On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon ⓘ