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Volunteers Use Annular Eclipse To Measure Sun More Accurately

Posted by timothy on from the maybe-it's-just-been-eating-differently dept.

Anonymous Squonk writes "The measurement of the sun currently in use was actually calculated over 120 years ago, and is off by hundreds of kilometers. Thousands of ordinary Japanese citizens worked together to improve this estimate. By measuring the borders of the 'ring of fire' effect of the recent eclipse, and using the known size and distance from the Earth of the sun, the radius of the Sun was measured as 696,010 kilometers, with a margin of error of only 20 kilometers."

11 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Manned Mission Needed by Scarletdown · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think to get the most accurate measurement, we need to send a manned mission to the sun and do it the old fashioned way, with a tape measure.

    Of course, to keep from burning up, they will have to go at night.

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    This space unintentionally left blank.
    1. Re:Manned Mission Needed by Black+Parrot · · Score: 3, Funny

      Or during an eclipse.

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      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    2. Re:Manned Mission Needed by Grayhand · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think to get the most accurate measurement, we need to send a manned mission to the sun and do it the old fashioned way, with a tape measure.

      Of course, to keep from burning up, they will have to go at night.

      A waste of time and money. The eclipse proved that the sun is only slightly larger than the moon. Now you just have to use a tape measure to get an accurate size for the moon. Too bad the astronauts didn't think to take one.

    3. Re:Manned Mission Needed by qu33ksilver · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or during Winter.. You know this was a yahoo question. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120430182228AAIk7uw

    4. Re:Manned Mission Needed by __aaltlg1547 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Everybody knows a Corona is 12 ounces.

  2. Sorry, can't resist. by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's a relatively open weave and I can still see your... annular area.

  3. Re:Wouldn't it be great... by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wouldn't it be great if people learned foreign languages ? If people would allow foreigners to puplish in their on language ?...
    Yeah too much to ask, I guess.

    IMO everyone should be allowed to puplish in the language of their choice, so long as they do it in the privacy of their own home.

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    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  4. Currently in use by zmooc · · Score: 3, Funny

    Good to see they focused their research on the sun that's currently in use and not on one of those old disposed ones!

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    0x or or snor perron?!
  5. I missed it by The+Evil+Atheist · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh well, look on the bright side...

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    Those who do not learn from commit history are doomed to regress it.
  6. Oh my god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The measurement of the sun currently in use was actually calculated over 120 years ago, and is off by hundreds of kilometers.

    By the best available measurements the sun has shrunk by hundreds of kilometers in a space of 120 years... and in that time is when we've started using solar power. We should stop now while there's still some Sun left.

  7. Re:Incidentally... by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

    You had me in a panic there - I thought you said millions.

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    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."