CINXE.COM
On the Sizes and Distances (Aristarchus) - Wikipedia
<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>On the Sizes and Distances (Aristarchus) - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"f1ed3dc7-2915-478d-812d-d6e04d51ad8c","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)","wgTitle":"On the Sizes and Distances (Aristarchus)","wgCurRevisionId":1254046271,"wgRevisionId":1254046271,"wgArticleId":3478532,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown","Articles with short description","Short description matches Wikidata","Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text","All articles with unsourced statements","Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016","Ancient Greek astronomical works","Astronomy books"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName" :"On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)","wgRelevantArticleId":3478532,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":10000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[],"wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q7091541","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness", "fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","ext.math.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media","ext.scribunto.logs","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP", "ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.quicksurveys.init","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession","wikibase.sidebar.tracking"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.math.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.4"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Aristarchus_working.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="798"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Aristarchus_working.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="532"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="426"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="On the Sizes and Distances (Aristarchus) - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_Aristarchus rootpage-On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_Aristarchus skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=On+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=On+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=On+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=On+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"><!-- CentralNotice --></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Symbols" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Symbols"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Symbols</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Symbols-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Half_Moon" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Half_Moon"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Half Moon</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Half_Moon-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Lunar_eclipse" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Lunar_eclipse"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Lunar eclipse</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Lunar_eclipse-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Results" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Results"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Results</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Results-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Illustrations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Illustrations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Illustrations</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Illustrations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Known_copies" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Known_copies"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Known copies</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Known_copies-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Bibliography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Bibliography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Bibliography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Bibliography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><i>On the Sizes and Distances</i> (Aristarchus)</h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 7 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-7" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">7 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Cber_die_Gr%C3%B6%C3%9Fen_und_Abst%C3%A4nde_von_Sonne_und_Mond" title="Über die Größen und Abstände von Sonne und Mond – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Über die Größen und Abstände von Sonne und Mond" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A0%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%AF_%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%B8%CF%8E%CE%BD_%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9_%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AC%CF%84%CF%89%CE%BD" title="Περί μεγεθών και αποστημάτων – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Περί μεγεθών και αποστημάτων" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sur_les_dimensions_et_les_distances" title="Sur les dimensions et les distances – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Sur les dimensions et les distances" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_veli%C4%8Dinama_i_udaljenostima" title="O veličinama i udaljenostima – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="O veličinama i udaljenostima" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_veli%C4%8Dini_i_udaljenosti_Sunca_i_Mjeseca" title="O veličini i udaljenosti Sunca i Mjeseca – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="O veličini i udaljenosti Sunca i Mjeseca" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BCy%C3%BCkl%C3%BCkler_ve_Uzakl%C4%B1klar_%C3%9Czerine" title="Büyüklükler ve Uzaklıklar Üzerine – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Büyüklükler ve Uzaklıklar Üzerine" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%88%E7%90%83%E5%92%8C%E5%A4%AA%E9%99%BD%E7%9A%84%E5%A4%A7%E5%B0%8F%E8%88%87%E8%B7%9D%E9%9B%A2_(%E9%98%BF%E9%87%8C%E6%96%AF%E5%A1%94%E5%85%8B%E6%96%AF)" title="月球和太陽的大小與距離 (阿里斯塔克斯) – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="月球和太陽的大小與距離 (阿里斯塔克斯)" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q7091541#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&oldid=1254046271" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_%28Aristarchus%29&id=1254046271&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FOn_the_Sizes_and_Distances_%28Aristarchus%29"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FOn_the_Sizes_and_Distances_%28Aristarchus%29"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_%28Aristarchus%29&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q7091541" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Work by Aristarchus of Samos, Greek astronomer</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For the work by Hipparchus, see <a href="/wiki/On_Sizes_and_Distances_(Hipparchus)" title="On Sizes and Distances (Hipparchus)">On Sizes and Distances (Hipparchus)</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Aristarchus_working.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Aristarchus_working.jpg/220px-Aristarchus_working.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="146" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Aristarchus_working.jpg/330px-Aristarchus_working.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Aristarchus_working.jpg/440px-Aristarchus_working.jpg 2x" data-file-width="508" data-file-height="338" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos" title="Aristarchus of Samos">Aristarchus's</a> 3rd century BCE calculations on the relative sizes of, from left, the Sun, Earth and Moon, from a 10th-century CE Greek copy</figcaption></figure> <p><i><b>On the Sizes and Distances (of the Sun and Moon)</b></i> (<a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greek_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Ancient Greek language">Ancient Greek</a>: <span lang="grc">Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων [ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης]</span>, <small><a href="/wiki/Romanization_of_Ancient_Greek" class="mw-redirect" title="Romanization of Ancient Greek">romanized</a>: </small><span title="Ancient Greek-language romanization"><i lang="grc-Latn"><span title="Ancient Greek transliteration" lang="grc-Latn"><i>Perì megethôn kaì apostēmátōn [hēlíou kaì selḗnēs]</i></span></i></span>) is widely accepted as the only extant work written by <a href="/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos" title="Aristarchus of Samos">Aristarchus of Samos</a>, an <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greek_astronomy" title="Ancient Greek astronomy">ancient Greek astronomer</a> who lived circa 310–230 BCE. This work calculates the sizes of the <a href="/wiki/Sun" title="Sun">Sun</a> and <a href="/wiki/Moon" title="Moon">Moon</a>, as well as their distances from the <a href="/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a> in terms of Earth's radius. </p><p>The book was presumably preserved by students of <a href="/wiki/Pappus_of_Alexandria" title="Pappus of Alexandria">Pappus of Alexandria</a>'s course in mathematics, although there is no evidence of this. The <i><a href="/wiki/Editio_princeps" title="Editio princeps">editio princeps</a></i> was published by <a href="/wiki/John_Wallis" title="John Wallis">John Wallis</a> in 1688, using several medieval manuscripts compiled by Sir <a href="/wiki/Henry_Savile_(Bible_translator)" title="Henry Savile (Bible translator)">Henry Savile</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The earliest Latin translation was made by <a href="/wiki/Giorgio_Valla" title="Giorgio Valla">Giorgio Valla</a> in 1488. There is also a <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbctos.2017gen18687">1572 Latin translation and commentary</a> by <a href="/wiki/Frederico_Commandino" class="mw-redirect" title="Frederico Commandino">Frederico Commandino</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Symbols">Symbols</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Symbols"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The work's method relied on several observations: </p> <ul><li>The apparent size of the Sun and the Moon in the sky.</li> <li>The size of the Earth's shadow in relation to the Moon during a <a href="/wiki/Lunar_eclipse" title="Lunar eclipse">lunar eclipse</a></li> <li>The angle between the Sun and Moon during a <a href="/wiki/Lunar_phase" title="Lunar phase">half moon</a> is 90°.</li></ul> <p>The rest of the article details a reconstruction of Aristarchus' method and results.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The reconstruction uses the following variables: </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Symbol</th> <th>Meaning </th></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>φ</i></td> <td>Angle between the Moon and the Sun during a half moon (directly measurable) </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>L</i></td> <td>Distance from the Earth to the <a href="/wiki/Moon" title="Moon">Moon</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>S</i></td> <td>Distance from the Earth to the <a href="/wiki/Sun" title="Sun">Sun</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>ℓ</i></td> <td>Radius of the <a href="/wiki/Moon" title="Moon">Moon</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>s</i></td> <td>Radius of the <a href="/wiki/Sun" title="Sun">Sun</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>t</i></td> <td>Radius of the <a href="/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>D</i></td> <td>Distance from the center of Earth to the vertex of Earth's shadow cone </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>d</i></td> <td>Radius of the Earth's shadow at the location of the Moon </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>n</i></td> <td>Ratio, <i>d/ℓ</i> (a directly observable quantity during a <a href="/wiki/Lunar_eclipse" title="Lunar eclipse">lunar eclipse</a>) </td></tr> <tr> <td align="center"><i>x</i></td> <td>Ratio, <i>S/L</i> = <i>s/ℓ</i> (which is calculated from <i>φ</i>) </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Half_Moon">Half Moon</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Half Moon"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Aristarchus began with the premise that, during a <a href="/wiki/Lunar_phase" title="Lunar phase">half moon</a>, the moon forms a <a href="/wiki/Right_triangle" title="Right triangle">right triangle</a> with the Sun and Earth. By observing the angle between the Sun and Moon, <i>φ</i>, the ratio of the distances to the Sun and Moon could be deduced using a form of <a href="/wiki/Trigonometry" title="Trigonometry">trigonometry</a>. </p><p><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:AristarchusHalfLitMoon2.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/AristarchusHalfLitMoon2.png" decoding="async" width="484" height="255" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="484" data-file-height="255" /></a></span> </p><p>From the diagram and trigonometry, we can calculate that </p> <dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\frac {S}{L}}={\frac {1}{\cos \varphi }}=\sec \varphi .}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>S</mi> <mi>L</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mn>1</mn> <mrow> <mi>cos</mi> <mo>⁡<!-- --></mo> <mi>φ<!-- φ --></mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mi>sec</mi> <mo>⁡<!-- --></mo> <mi>φ<!-- φ --></mi> <mo>.</mo> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\frac {S}{L}}={\frac {1}{\cos \varphi }}=\sec \varphi .}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/c150c64a4bc546581590a8e53962f7c7e65f94aa" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.338ex; width:20.005ex; height:5.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\frac {S}{L}}={\frac {1}{\cos \varphi }}=\sec \varphi .}"></span></dd></dl> <p>The diagram is greatly exaggerated, because in reality, <i>S = 390 L</i>, and <i>φ</i> is extremely close to 90°. Aristarchus determined <i>φ</i> to be a thirtieth of a quadrant (in modern terms, 3°) less than a right angle: in current terminology, 87°. Trigonometric functions had not yet been invented, but using geometrical analysis in the style of <a href="/wiki/Euclid" title="Euclid">Euclid</a>, Aristarchus determined that </p> <dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle 18<{\frac {S}{L}}<20.}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mn>18</mn> <mo><</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>S</mi> <mi>L</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo><</mo> <mn>20.</mn> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle 18<{\frac {S}{L}}<20.}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/d623129c9da7990f06e9fcc7452caa0bd546efd1" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -1.838ex; width:13.913ex; height:5.343ex;" alt="{\displaystyle 18<{\frac {S}{L}}<20.}"></span></dd></dl> <p>In other words, the distance to the Sun was somewhere between 18 and 20 times greater than the distance to the Moon. This value (or values close to it) was accepted by astronomers for the next two thousand years, until the invention of the telescope permitted a more precise estimate of <a href="/wiki/Solar_parallax" class="mw-redirect" title="Solar parallax">solar parallax</a>. </p><p>Aristarchus also reasoned that as the <a href="/wiki/Angular_size" class="mw-redirect" title="Angular size">angular size</a> of the Sun and the Moon were the same, but the distance to the Sun was between 18 and 20 times further than the Moon, the Sun must therefore be 18–20 times larger. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Lunar_eclipse">Lunar eclipse</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Lunar eclipse"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Aristarchus then used another construction based on a lunar eclipse: </p><p><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:AristarchusLunar_Eclipse2.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/AristarchusLunar_Eclipse2.png/600px-AristarchusLunar_Eclipse2.png" decoding="async" width="600" height="181" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/AristarchusLunar_Eclipse2.png 1.5x" data-file-width="874" data-file-height="263" /></a></span> </p><p>By similarity of the triangles, <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\frac {D}{L}}={\frac {t}{t-d}}\quad }"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>D</mi> <mi>L</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>t</mi> <mrow> <mi>t</mi> <mo>−<!-- − --></mo> <mi>d</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mspace width="1em" /> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\frac {D}{L}}={\frac {t}{t-d}}\quad }</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/fb8887920380524e0e5b943073b15881162ebd30" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.171ex; width:13.913ex; height:5.509ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\frac {D}{L}}={\frac {t}{t-d}}\quad }"></span> and <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \quad {\frac {D}{S}}={\frac {t}{s-t}}.}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mspace width="1em" /> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>D</mi> <mi>S</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>t</mi> <mrow> <mi>s</mi> <mo>−<!-- − --></mo> <mi>t</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>.</mo> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \quad {\frac {D}{S}}={\frac {t}{s-t}}.}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/9d4d2fb7f3c279e2c0c549e3a7388d63a7c99000" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.005ex; width:14.435ex; height:5.343ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \quad {\frac {D}{S}}={\frac {t}{s-t}}.}"></span> </p><p>Dividing these two equations and using the observation that the Sun and Moon appear the same size to people on Earth, <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle s/S=\ell /L}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>s</mi> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mo>/</mo> </mrow> <mi>S</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mo>/</mo> </mrow> <mi>L</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle s/S=\ell /L}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/e2de44feac39791df2197492bddc66c3defe5114" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:10.566ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle s/S=\ell /L}"></span>, yields </p> <dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{s}}={\frac {t-d}{s-t}}\ \ \implies \ \ {\frac {s-t}{s}}={\frac {t-d}{\ell }}\ \ \implies \ \ {\frac {t}{\ell }}+{\frac {t}{s}}=1+{\frac {d}{\ell }}.}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mi>s</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mrow> <mi>t</mi> <mo>−<!-- − --></mo> <mi>d</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mi>s</mi> <mo>−<!-- − --></mo> <mi>t</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mtext> </mtext> <mtext> </mtext> <mspace width="thickmathspace" /> <mo stretchy="false">⟹<!-- ⟹ --></mo> <mspace width="thickmathspace" /> <mtext> </mtext> <mtext> </mtext> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mrow> <mi>s</mi> <mo>−<!-- − --></mo> <mi>t</mi> </mrow> <mi>s</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mrow> <mi>t</mi> <mo>−<!-- − --></mo> <mi>d</mi> </mrow> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mtext> </mtext> <mtext> </mtext> <mspace width="thickmathspace" /> <mo stretchy="false">⟹<!-- ⟹ --></mo> <mspace width="thickmathspace" /> <mtext> </mtext> <mtext> </mtext> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>t</mi> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>t</mi> <mi>s</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>d</mi> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>.</mo> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{s}}={\frac {t-d}{s-t}}\ \ \implies \ \ {\frac {s-t}{s}}={\frac {t-d}{\ell }}\ \ \implies \ \ {\frac {t}{\ell }}+{\frac {t}{s}}=1+{\frac {d}{\ell }}.}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/42d79772fb78c0ac26c12376aa5f9224eef08107" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.005ex; width:58.985ex; height:5.509ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{s}}={\frac {t-d}{s-t}}\ \ \implies \ \ {\frac {s-t}{s}}={\frac {t-d}{\ell }}\ \ \implies \ \ {\frac {t}{\ell }}+{\frac {t}{s}}=1+{\frac {d}{\ell }}.}"></span></dd></dl> <p>The rightmost equation can either be solved for <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \ell /t}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mo>/</mo> </mrow> <mi>t</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \ell /t}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/5689d13b6962ac014fbe9531d8b8d91cb0d407cc" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:2.972ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \ell /t}"></span> or <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle s/t}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>s</mi> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mo>/</mo> </mrow> <mi>t</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle s/t}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/c14f2a59b9c0fba49ba3bc52b04f00d8f3dea2b6" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:3.093ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle s/t}"></span> </p> <dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{t}}={\frac {1+{\dfrac {\ell }{s}}}{1+{\dfrac {d}{\ell }}}},\qquad {\frac {s}{t}}={\frac {1+{\dfrac {s}{\ell }}}{1+{\dfrac {d}{\ell }}}}.}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mfrac> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mi>s</mi> </mfrac> </mstyle> </mrow> </mrow> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mfrac> <mi>d</mi> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mfrac> </mstyle> </mrow> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>,</mo> <mspace width="2em" /> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>s</mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mfrac> <mi>s</mi> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mfrac> </mstyle> </mrow> </mrow> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mfrac> <mi>d</mi> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mfrac> </mstyle> </mrow> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>.</mo> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{t}}={\frac {1+{\dfrac {\ell }{s}}}{1+{\dfrac {d}{\ell }}}},\qquad {\frac {s}{t}}={\frac {1+{\dfrac {s}{\ell }}}{1+{\dfrac {d}{\ell }}}}.}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/065a37663712a5edf6bc53f6cc8b40cb1dabe81f" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -5.171ex; width:30.037ex; height:11.509ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{t}}={\frac {1+{\dfrac {\ell }{s}}}{1+{\dfrac {d}{\ell }}}},\qquad {\frac {s}{t}}={\frac {1+{\dfrac {s}{\ell }}}{1+{\dfrac {d}{\ell }}}}.}"></span></dd></dl> <p>These equations can be made to appear simpler by expressing the lengths <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle d}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>d</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle d}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/e85ff03cbe0c7341af6b982e47e9f90d235c66ab" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:1.216ex; height:2.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle d}"></span> and <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle s}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>s</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle s}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/01d131dfd7673938b947072a13a9744fe997e632" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:1.09ex; height:1.676ex;" alt="{\displaystyle s}"></span> in terms of the moon's radius <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \ell }"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \ell }</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/f066e981e530bacc07efc6a10fa82deee985929e" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:0.97ex; height:2.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \ell }"></span> as a unit, defining <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\hat {d}}=d/\ell }"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mover> <mi>d</mi> <mo stretchy="false">^<!-- ^ --></mo> </mover> </mrow> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mi>d</mi> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mo>/</mo> </mrow> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\hat {d}}=d/\ell }</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/811c0282f9044aa001cb27d9dc4fa45120162596" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:8.028ex; height:3.343ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\hat {d}}=d/\ell }"></span> and <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\hat {s}}=s/\ell .}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mover> <mi>s</mi> <mo stretchy="false">^<!-- ^ --></mo> </mover> </mrow> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mi>s</mi> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mo>/</mo> </mrow> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mo>.</mo> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\hat {s}}=s/\ell .}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/1833a11d0c969babac05f5592877385f320a8af2" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:8.259ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\hat {s}}=s/\ell .}"></span> Then </p> <dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{t}}={\frac {1+{\hat {s}}}{{\hat {s}}(1+{\hat {d}})}},\qquad {\frac {s}{t}}={\frac {1+{\hat {s}}}{1+{\hat {d}}}}}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mover> <mi>s</mi> <mo stretchy="false">^<!-- ^ --></mo> </mover> </mrow> </mrow> </mrow> <mrow> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mover> <mi>s</mi> <mo stretchy="false">^<!-- ^ --></mo> </mover> </mrow> </mrow> <mo stretchy="false">(</mo> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mover> <mi>d</mi> <mo stretchy="false">^<!-- ^ --></mo> </mover> </mrow> </mrow> <mo stretchy="false">)</mo> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>,</mo> <mspace width="2em" /> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>s</mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mover> <mi>s</mi> <mo stretchy="false">^<!-- ^ --></mo> </mover> </mrow> </mrow> </mrow> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mo>+</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mover> <mi>d</mi> <mo stretchy="false">^<!-- ^ --></mo> </mover> </mrow> </mrow> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{t}}={\frac {1+{\hat {s}}}{{\hat {s}}(1+{\hat {d}})}},\qquad {\frac {s}{t}}={\frac {1+{\hat {s}}}{1+{\hat {d}}}}}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/cfccbf537d54b449e4b808b3e315c71bfa7415b5" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -3.171ex; width:31.551ex; height:6.676ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\frac {\ell }{t}}={\frac {1+{\hat {s}}}{{\hat {s}}(1+{\hat {d}})}},\qquad {\frac {s}{t}}={\frac {1+{\hat {s}}}{1+{\hat {d}}}}}"></span></dd></dl> <p>The above equations give the radii of the Moon and Sun entirely in terms of observable quantities. </p><p>The following formulae give the distances to the Sun and Moon in terrestrial units: </p> <dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\frac {L}{t}}=\left({\frac {\ell }{t}}\right)\left({\frac {180}{\pi \theta }}\right)}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>L</mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow> <mo>(</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>ℓ<!-- ℓ --></mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>)</mo> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>(</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mn>180</mn> <mrow> <mi>π<!-- π --></mi> <mi>θ<!-- θ --></mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>)</mo> </mrow> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\frac {L}{t}}=\left({\frac {\ell }{t}}\right)\left({\frac {180}{\pi \theta }}\right)}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/457ef3cf999e4a1fdcf2ea1f9d0bad44f8be3c9d" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.505ex; width:18.876ex; height:6.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\frac {L}{t}}=\left({\frac {\ell }{t}}\right)\left({\frac {180}{\pi \theta }}\right)}"></span></dd></dl> <dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\frac {S}{t}}={\biggl (}{\frac {s}{t}}{\biggr )}\left({\frac {180}{\pi \theta }}\right)}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>S</mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-OPEN"> <mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">(</mo> </mrow> </mrow> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mi>s</mi> <mi>t</mi> </mfrac> </mrow> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-CLOSE"> <mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">)</mo> </mrow> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>(</mo> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mfrac> <mn>180</mn> <mrow> <mi>π<!-- π --></mi> <mi>θ<!-- θ --></mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </mrow> <mo>)</mo> </mrow> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\frac {S}{t}}={\biggl (}{\frac {s}{t}}{\biggr )}\left({\frac {180}{\pi \theta }}\right)}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/39f2fa230fe0bdd04cc9e43870b9d28ccae277e9" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.505ex; width:18.913ex; height:6.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\frac {S}{t}}={\biggl (}{\frac {s}{t}}{\biggr )}\left({\frac {180}{\pi \theta }}\right)}"></span></dd></dl> <p>where <i>θ</i> is the apparent radius of the Moon and Sun measured in degrees. </p><p>Aristarchus did not use these exact formulae, yet these formulae are likely a good approximation for those of Aristarchus. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Results">Results</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Results"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The above formulae can be used to reconstruct the results of Aristarchus. The following table shows the results of a long-standing (but dubious) reconstruction using <i>n</i> = 2, <i>x</i> = 19.1 (<i>φ</i> = 87°) and <i>θ</i> = 1°, alongside the modern day accepted values. </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Quantity</th> <th>Relation</th> <th>Reconstruction</th> <th>Modern </th></tr> <tr align="center"> <td><i>s/t</i></td> <td>Sun's radius in Earth radii</td> <td>6.7</td> <td>109 </td></tr> <tr align="center"> <td><i>t/ℓ</i></td> <td>Earth's radius in Moon radii</td> <td>2.85</td> <td>3.67 </td></tr> <tr align="center"> <td><i>L/t</i></td> <td>Earth-Moon distance in Earth radii</td> <td>20</td> <td>60.34 </td></tr> <tr align="center"> <td><i>S/t</i></td> <td>Earth-Sun distance in Earth radii</td> <td>380</td> <td>23481 </td></tr></tbody></table><p><sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="needs credible references for modern values (February 2016)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The error in this calculation comes primarily from the poor values for <i>x</i> and <i>θ</i>. The poor value for <i>θ</i> is especially surprising, since <a href="/wiki/Archimedes" title="Archimedes">Archimedes</a> writes that Aristarchus was the first to determine that the Sun and Moon had an apparent diameter of half a degree. This would give a value of <i>θ</i> = 0.25, and a corresponding distance to the Moon of 80 Earth radii, a much better estimate. The disagreement of the work with Archimedes seems to be due to its taking an Aristarchus statement that the lunisolar diameter is 1/15 of a "meros" of the zodiac to mean 1/15 of a zodiacal sign (30°), unaware that the Greek word "meros" meant either "portion" or 7°1/2; and 1/15 of the latter amount is 1°/2, in agreement with Archimedes' testimony. </p><p>A <a href="/wiki/Hipparchus_On_Sizes_and_Distances" class="mw-redirect" title="Hipparchus On Sizes and Distances">similar procedure</a> was later used by <a href="/wiki/Hipparchus" title="Hipparchus">Hipparchus</a>, who estimated the mean distance to the Moon as 67 Earth radii, and <a href="/wiki/Ptolemy" title="Ptolemy">Ptolemy</a>, who took 59 Earth radii for this value. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Illustrations">Illustrations</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Illustrations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some interactive illustrations of the propositions in <i>On Sizes</i> can be found here: </p> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/ZYFQqZa5"><b>Hypothesis 4</b></a> states that when the Moon appears to us halved, its distance from the Sun is then less than a quadrant by one-thirtieth of a quadrant [that is, it is less than 90° by 1/30th of 90° or 3°, and is therefore equal to 87°] (Heath 1913:353).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/BcVB8g23"><b>Proposition 1</b></a> states that two equal spheres are comprehended by one and the same cylinder, and two unequal spheres by one and the same cone which has its vertex in the direction of the lesser sphere; and the straight line drawn through the centres of the spheres is at right angles to each of the circles in which the surface of the cylinder, or of the cone, touches the spheres (Heath 1913:354).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/EsGKE5yA"><b>Proposition 2</b></a> states that if a sphere be illuminated by a sphere greater than itself, the illuminated portion of the former sphere will be greater than a hemisphere (Heath 1913:358).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/YEJ8GyaR"><b>Proposition 3</b></a> states that the circle in the Moon which divides the dark and the bright portions is least when the cone comprehending both the Sun and the Moon has its vertex at our eye (Heath 1913:362).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/dxJPXypp"><b>Proposition 4</b></a> states that the circle which divides the dark and the bright portions in the Moon is not perceptibly different from a great circle in the Moon (Heath 1913:365).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/MYdPsEku"><b>Proposition 6</b></a> states that the Moon moves [in an orbit] lower than [that of] the Sun, and, when it is halved, is distant less than a quadrant from the Sun (Heath 1913:372).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/u4EKJ5uQ"><b>Proposition 7</b></a> states that the distance of the Sun from the Earth is greater than 18 times, but less than 20 times, the distance of the Moon from the Earth (Heath 1913:377). In other words, the Sun is 18 to 20 times farther away and wider than the Moon.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/rDNQhNx9"><b>Proposition 13</b></a> states that the straight line subtending the portion intercepted within the earth's shadow of the circumference of the circle in which the extremities of the diameter of the circle dividing the dark and the bright portions in the Moon move is less than double of the diameter of the Moon, but has to it a ratio greater than that which 88 has to 45; and it is less than 1/9th part of the diameter of the Sun, but has to it a ratio greater than that which 21 has to 225. But it has to the straight line drawn from the centre of the Sun at right angles to the axis and meeting the sides of the cone a ratio greater than that which 979 has to 10 125 (Heath 1913:394).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/nCqsrFSQ"><b>Proposition 14</b></a> states that the straight line joined from the centre of the Earth to the centre of the Moon has to the straight line cut off from the axis towards the centre of the Moon by the straight line subtending the [circumference] within the Earth's shadow a ratio greater than that which 675 has to 1 (Heath 1913:400).</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/eChNpgEj"><b>Proposition 15</b></a> states that the diameter of the Sun has to the diameter of the Earth a ratio greater than 19/3, but less than 43/6 (Heath 1913:403). This means that the Sun is (a mean of) <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1154941027">.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}</style><span class="frac">6<span class="sr-only">+</span><span class="num">3</span>⁄<span class="den">4</span></span> times wider than the Earth, or that the Sun is <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1154941027"><span class="frac">13<span class="sr-only">+</span><span class="num">1</span>⁄<span class="den">2</span></span> Earth-radii wide. The Moon and Sun must then be <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1154941027"><span class="frac">20<span class="sr-only">+</span><span class="num">1</span>⁄<span class="den">4</span></span> and 387 Earth-radii away from us in order to subtend an angular size of 2º.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.geogebra.org/m/GrQBA2pf"><b>Proposition 17a</b></a> in al-Tusi's medieval Arabic version of the book <i>On Sizes</i> states that the ratio of the distance of the vertex of the shadow cone from the center of the Moon (when the Moon is on the axis [that is, at the middle of an eclipse] of the cone containing the Earth and the Sun) to the distance of the center of the Moon from the center of the Earth is greater than the ratio 71 to 37 and less than the ratio 3 to one (Berggren & Sidoli 2007:218).<sup id="cite_ref-Berggren_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Berggren-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In other words, that the tip of the Earth's shadow cone is between 108/37 and four times farther away than the Moon.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Known_copies">Known copies</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Known copies"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Library of Congress Vatican Exhibit.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos" title="Aristarchus of Samos">Aristarchus of Samos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eratosthenes" title="Eratosthenes">Eratosthenes</a> (<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/circa#English" class="extiw" title="wikt:circa">c.</a><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 276</span> – c.<span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 194/195 BC</span>), a Greek mathematician who <a href="/wiki/On_the_measure_of_the_Earth" class="mw-redirect" title="On the measure of the Earth">calculated</a> the circumference of the Earth and also the distance from the Earth to the Sun.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hipparchus" title="Hipparchus">Hipparchus</a> (<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/circa#English" class="extiw" title="wikt:circa">c.</a><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 190</span> – c.<span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 120 BC</span>), a Greek mathematician who <a href="/wiki/On_Sizes_and_Distances_(Hipparchus)" title="On Sizes and Distances (Hipparchus)">measured</a> the radii of the Sun and the Moon as well as their distances from the Earth.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/On_Sizes_and_Distances_(Hipparchus)" title="On Sizes and Distances (Hipparchus)"><i>On the Sizes and Distances</i> (Hipparchus)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Posidonius" title="Posidonius">Posidonius</a> (<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/circa#English" class="extiw" title="wikt:circa">c.</a><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 135</span> – c.<span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 51 BC</span>), a Greek astronomer and mathematician who <a href="/wiki/Posidonius#Calculation_of_Earth's_circumference" title="Posidonius">calculated</a> the circumference of the Earth.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFHeath1913" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Little_Heath" class="mw-redirect" title="Thomas Little Heath">Heath, Thomas</a> (1913). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/aristarchusofsam00heat"><i>Aristarchus of Samos, the Ancient Copernicus</i></a>. Oxford: Clarendon. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/aristarchusofsam00heat#page/323/mode/1up">323</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Aristarchus+of+Samos%2C+the+Ancient+Copernicus&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pages=323&rft.pub=Clarendon&rft.date=1913&rft.aulast=Heath&rft.aufirst=Thomas&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Faristarchusofsam00heat&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOn+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Berggren and Sidoli. 2007. 'Aristarchus's On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and the Moon: Greek and Arabic Texts'. Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. 61(3), pp. 213–54. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00407-006-0118-4">10.1007/s00407-006-0118-4</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Noack B. (1992) Aristarch von Samos: Untersuchungen zur Überlieferungsgeschichte der Schrif <i>Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης</i>, Wiesbaden.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXHxx8L9YFo">A video on reconstruction of Aristarchus' method</a> (in Turkish, no subtitles)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Berggren-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Berggren_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Berggren, J. L. & N. Sidoli (2007) <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110428064826/http://individual.utoronto.ca/acephalous/Berggren_Sidoli_2007a.pdf">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'Aristarchus's On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and the Moon: Greek and Arabic Texts', <i>Archive for History of Exact Sciences,</i> Vol. 61, no. 3, 213–254"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Archived from the original on April 28, 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2011-11-07</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=%27Aristarchus%27s+On+the+Sizes+and+Distances+of+the+Sun+and+the+Moon%3A+Greek+and+Arabic+Texts%27%2C+Archive+for+History+of+Exact+Sciences%2C+Vol.+61%2C+no.+3%2C+213%E2%80%93254&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Findividual.utoronto.ca%2Facephalous%2FBerggren_Sidoli_2007a.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOn+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" class="Z3988"></span><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_web" title="Template:Cite web">cite web</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_bot:_original_URL_status_unknown" title="Category:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown">link</a>)</span>.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Bibliography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGomez2023" class="citation book cs1">Gomez, Alberto (2023). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.peterlang.com/document/1288830"><i>Decoding Aristarchus</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/Berlin" title="Berlin">Berlin</a>: <a href="/wiki/Peter_Lang_Verlag" class="mw-redirect" title="Peter Lang Verlag">Peter Lang Verlag</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9783631892619" title="Special:BookSources/9783631892619"><bdi>9783631892619</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Decoding+Aristarchus&rft.place=Berlin&rft.pub=Peter+Lang+Verlag&rft.date=2023&rft.isbn=9783631892619&rft.aulast=Gomez&rft.aufirst=Alberto&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peterlang.com%2Fdocument%2F1288830&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOn+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHeath1913" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Little_Heath" class="mw-redirect" title="Thomas Little Heath">Heath, Thomas</a> (1913). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/aristarchusofsam00heat"><i>Aristarchus of Samos, the Ancient Copernicus</i></a>. Oxford: Clarendon.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Aristarchus+of+Samos%2C+the+Ancient+Copernicus&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pub=Clarendon&rft.date=1913&rft.aulast=Heath&rft.aufirst=Thomas&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Faristarchusofsam00heat&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOn+the+Sizes+and+Distances+%28Aristarchus%29" class="Z3988"></span> This was later reprinted, see (<link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-486-43886-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-486-43886-4">0-486-43886-4</a>).</li> <li>van Helden, A. <i>Measuring the Universe: Cosmic Dimensions from Aristarchus to Halley</i>. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Pr., 1985. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-226-84882-5" title="Special:BookSources/0-226-84882-5">0-226-84882-5</a>.</li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Ancient_Greek_astronomy" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Ancient_Greek_astronomy" title="Template:Ancient Greek astronomy"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Ancient_Greek_astronomy" title="Template talk:Ancient Greek astronomy"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Ancient_Greek_astronomy" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Ancient Greek astronomy"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Ancient_Greek_astronomy" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greek_astronomy" title="Ancient Greek astronomy">Ancient Greek astronomy</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_ancient_Greek_astronomers" title="List of ancient Greek astronomers">Astronomers</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aglaonice" title="Aglaonice">Aglaonice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Agrippa_(astronomer)" title="Agrippa (astronomer)">Agrippa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anaximander" title="Anaximander">Anaximander</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Andronicus_of_Cyrrhus" title="Andronicus of Cyrrhus">Andronicus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollonius_of_Perga" title="Apollonius of Perga">Apollonius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aratus" title="Aratus">Aratus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos" title="Aristarchus of Samos">Aristarchus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristyllus" title="Aristyllus">Aristyllus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Attalus_of_Rhodes" title="Attalus of Rhodes">Attalus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Autolycus_of_Pitane" title="Autolycus of Pitane">Autolycus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bion_of_Abdera" title="Bion of Abdera">Bion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Callippus" title="Callippus">Callippus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cleomedes" title="Cleomedes">Cleomedes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cleostratus" title="Cleostratus">Cleostratus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Conon_of_Samos" title="Conon of Samos">Conon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eratosthenes" title="Eratosthenes">Eratosthenes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euctemon" title="Euctemon">Euctemon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eudoxus_of_Cnidus" title="Eudoxus of Cnidus">Eudoxus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geminus" title="Geminus">Geminus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Heraclides_Ponticus" title="Heraclides Ponticus">Heraclides</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hicetas" title="Hicetas">Hicetas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hipparchus" title="Hipparchus">Hipparchus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hippocrates_of_Chios" title="Hippocrates of Chios">Hippocrates of Chios</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hypsicles" title="Hypsicles">Hypsicles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menelaus_of_Alexandria" title="Menelaus of Alexandria">Menelaus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meton_of_Athens" title="Meton of Athens">Meton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oenopides" title="Oenopides">Oenopides</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philip_of_Opus" title="Philip of Opus">Philip of Opus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philolaus" title="Philolaus">Philolaus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Posidonius" title="Posidonius">Posidonius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ptolemy" title="Ptolemy">Ptolemy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pytheas" title="Pytheas">Pytheas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seleucus_of_Seleucia" title="Seleucus of Seleucia">Seleucus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sosigenes_of_Alexandria" class="mw-redirect" title="Sosigenes of Alexandria">Sosigenes of Alexandria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sosigenes_the_Peripatetic" title="Sosigenes the Peripatetic">Sosigenes the Peripatetic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Strabo" title="Strabo">Strabo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thales_of_Miletus" title="Thales of Miletus">Thales</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theodosius_of_Bithynia" title="Theodosius of Bithynia">Theodosius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theon_of_Alexandria" title="Theon of Alexandria">Theon of Alexandria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theon_of_Smyrna" title="Theon of Smyrna">Theon of Smyrna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timocharis" title="Timocharis">Timocharis</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Works</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Almagest" title="Almagest"><i>Almagest</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Ptolemy)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catasterismi" title="Catasterismi"><i>Catasterismi</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Eratosthenes)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/On_Sizes_and_Distances_(Hipparchus)" title="On Sizes and Distances (Hipparchus)"><i>On Sizes and Distances</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Hipparchus)</span></a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink"><i>On the Sizes and Distances</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Aristarchus)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/On_the_Heavens" title="On the Heavens"><i>On the Heavens</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Aristotle)</span></a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Instruments</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism" title="Antikythera mechanism">Antikythera mechanism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Armillary_sphere" title="Armillary sphere">Armillary sphere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Astrolabe" title="Astrolabe">Astrolabe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dioptra" title="Dioptra">Dioptra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Equatorial_ring" title="Equatorial ring">Equatorial ring</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gnomon" title="Gnomon">Gnomon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mural_instrument" title="Mural instrument">Mural instrument</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Triquetrum_(astronomy)" title="Triquetrum (astronomy)">Triquetrum</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Concepts</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Callippic_cycle" title="Callippic cycle">Callippic cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Celestial_spheres" title="Celestial spheres">Celestial spheres</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circle_of_latitude" title="Circle of latitude">Circle of latitude</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Counter-Earth" title="Counter-Earth">Counter-Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deferent_and_epicycle" title="Deferent and epicycle">Deferent and epicycle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Equant" title="Equant">Equant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geocentric_model" title="Geocentric model">Geocentrism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Heliocentrism" title="Heliocentrism">Heliocentrism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hipparchic_cycle" title="Hipparchic cycle">Hipparchic cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inferior_and_superior_planets" title="Inferior and superior planets">Inferior and superior planets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metonic_cycle" title="Metonic cycle">Metonic cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Octaeteris" title="Octaeteris">Octaeteris</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solstice" title="Solstice">Solstice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spherical_Earth" title="Spherical Earth">Spherical Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sublunary_sphere" title="Sublunary sphere">Sublunary sphere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zodiac" title="Zodiac">Zodiac</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Influences</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Babylonian_astronomy" title="Babylonian astronomy">Babylonian astronomy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Egyptian_astronomy" title="Egyptian astronomy">Egyptian astronomy</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Influenced</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/European_science_in_the_Middle_Ages" title="European science in the Middle Ages">Medieval European science</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indian_astronomy" title="Indian astronomy">Indian astronomy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Astronomy_in_the_medieval_Islamic_world" title="Astronomy in the medieval Islamic world">Medieval Islamic astronomy</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Ancient_Greek_mathematics" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Ancient_Greek_mathematics" title="Template:Ancient Greek mathematics"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Ancient_Greek_mathematics" title="Template talk:Ancient Greek mathematics"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Ancient_Greek_mathematics" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Ancient Greek mathematics"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Ancient_Greek_mathematics" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Greek_mathematics" title="Greek mathematics">Ancient Greek mathematics</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_Greek_mathematicians" title="List of Greek mathematicians">Mathematicians</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_ancient_Greek_mathematicians" title="Timeline of ancient Greek mathematicians">(timeline)</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anaxagoras" title="Anaxagoras">Anaxagoras</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anthemius_of_Tralles" title="Anthemius of Tralles">Anthemius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archytas" title="Archytas">Archytas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristaeus_the_Elder" title="Aristaeus the Elder">Aristaeus the Elder</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos" title="Aristarchus of Samos">Aristarchus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristotle" title="Aristotle">Aristotle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollonius_of_Perga" title="Apollonius of Perga">Apollonius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archimedes" title="Archimedes">Archimedes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Autolycus_of_Pitane" title="Autolycus of Pitane">Autolycus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bion_of_Abdera" title="Bion of Abdera">Bion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bryson_of_Heraclea" title="Bryson of Heraclea">Bryson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Callippus" title="Callippus">Callippus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carpus_of_Antioch" title="Carpus of Antioch">Carpus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chrysippus" title="Chrysippus">Chrysippus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cleomedes" title="Cleomedes">Cleomedes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Conon_of_Samos" title="Conon of Samos">Conon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ctesibius" title="Ctesibius">Ctesibius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Democritus" title="Democritus">Democritus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dicaearchus" title="Dicaearchus">Dicaearchus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diocles_(mathematician)" title="Diocles (mathematician)">Diocles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diophantus" title="Diophantus">Diophantus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dinostratus" title="Dinostratus">Dinostratus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dionysodorus" title="Dionysodorus">Dionysodorus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Domninus_of_Larissa" title="Domninus of Larissa">Domninus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eratosthenes" title="Eratosthenes">Eratosthenes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eudemus_of_Rhodes" title="Eudemus of Rhodes">Eudemus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euclid" title="Euclid">Euclid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eudoxus_of_Cnidus" title="Eudoxus of Cnidus">Eudoxus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eutocius_of_Ascalon" title="Eutocius of Ascalon">Eutocius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geminus" title="Geminus">Geminus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Heliodorus_of_Larissa" title="Heliodorus of Larissa">Heliodorus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hero_of_Alexandria" title="Hero of Alexandria">Heron</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hipparchus" title="Hipparchus">Hipparchus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hippasus" title="Hippasus">Hippasus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hippias" title="Hippias">Hippias</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hippocrates_of_Chios" title="Hippocrates of Chios">Hippocrates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hypatia" title="Hypatia">Hypatia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hypsicles" title="Hypsicles">Hypsicles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Isidore_of_Miletus" title="Isidore of Miletus">Isidore of Miletus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leon_(mathematician)" title="Leon (mathematician)">Leon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marinus_of_Neapolis" title="Marinus of Neapolis">Marinus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menaechmus" title="Menaechmus">Menaechmus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menelaus_of_Alexandria" title="Menelaus of Alexandria">Menelaus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metrodorus_(grammarian)" title="Metrodorus (grammarian)">Metrodorus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nicomachus" title="Nicomachus">Nicomachus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nicomedes_(mathematician)" title="Nicomedes (mathematician)">Nicomedes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nicoteles_of_Cyrene" title="Nicoteles of Cyrene">Nicoteles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oenopides" title="Oenopides">Oenopides</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pappus_of_Alexandria" title="Pappus of Alexandria">Pappus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perseus_(geometer)" title="Perseus (geometer)">Perseus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philolaus" title="Philolaus">Philolaus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philon" title="Philon">Philon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philonides_of_Laodicea" title="Philonides of Laodicea">Philonides</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Porphyry_(philosopher)" title="Porphyry (philosopher)">Porphyry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Posidonius" title="Posidonius">Posidonius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Proclus" title="Proclus">Proclus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ptolemy" title="Ptolemy">Ptolemy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pythagoras" title="Pythagoras">Pythagoras</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Serenus_of_Antino%C3%B6polis" title="Serenus of Antinoöpolis">Serenus </a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Simplicius_of_Cilicia" title="Simplicius of Cilicia">Simplicius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sosigenes_of_Alexandria" class="mw-redirect" title="Sosigenes of Alexandria">Sosigenes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sporus_of_Nicaea" title="Sporus of Nicaea">Sporus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thales_of_Miletus" title="Thales of Miletus">Thales</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theaetetus_(mathematician)" title="Theaetetus (mathematician)">Theaetetus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theano_(philosopher)" title="Theano (philosopher)">Theano</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theodorus_of_Cyrene" title="Theodorus of Cyrene">Theodorus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theodosius_of_Bithynia" title="Theodosius of Bithynia">Theodosius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theon_of_Alexandria" title="Theon of Alexandria">Theon of Alexandria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theon_of_Smyrna" title="Theon of Smyrna">Theon of Smyrna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thymaridas" title="Thymaridas">Thymaridas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Xenocrates" title="Xenocrates">Xenocrates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zeno_of_Elea" title="Zeno of Elea">Zeno of Elea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zeno_of_Sidon" title="Zeno of Sidon">Zeno of Sidon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zenodorus_(mathematician)" title="Zenodorus (mathematician)">Zenodorus</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Treatises</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Almagest" title="Almagest">Almagest</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archimedes_Palimpsest" title="Archimedes Palimpsest">Archimedes Palimpsest</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Arithmetica" title="Arithmetica">Arithmetica</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollonius_of_Perga#Conics" title="Apollonius of Perga"><i>Conics</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Apollonius)</span></a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Catoptrics" title="Catoptrics">Catoptrics</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_(Euclid)" class="mw-redirect" title="Data (Euclid)"><i>Data</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Euclid)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euclid%27s_Elements" title="Euclid's Elements"><i>Elements</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Euclid)</span></a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Measurement_of_a_Circle" title="Measurement of a Circle">Measurement of a Circle</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/On_Conoids_and_Spheroids" title="On Conoids and Spheroids">On Conoids and Spheroids</a></i></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink"><i>On the Sizes and Distances</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Aristarchus)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/On_Sizes_and_Distances_(Hipparchus)" title="On Sizes and Distances (Hipparchus)"><i>On Sizes and Distances</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Hipparchus)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Autolycus_of_Pitane" title="Autolycus of Pitane"><i>On the Moving Sphere</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Autolycus)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euclid%27s_Optics" title="Euclid's Optics"><i>Optics</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Euclid)</span></a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/On_Spirals" title="On Spirals">On Spirals</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/On_the_Sphere_and_Cylinder" title="On the Sphere and Cylinder">On the Sphere and Cylinder</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Ostomachion" title="Ostomachion">Ostomachion</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Planisphaerium" title="Planisphaerium">Planisphaerium</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theodosius%27_Spherics" title="Theodosius' Spherics"><i>Spherics</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Theodosius)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menelaus_of_Alexandria" title="Menelaus of Alexandria"><i>Spherics</i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Menelaus)</span></a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Quadrature_of_the_Parabola" class="mw-redirect" title="The Quadrature of the Parabola">The Quadrature of the Parabola</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Sand_Reckoner" title="The Sand Reckoner">The Sand Reckoner</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Problems</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Constructible_number" title="Constructible number">Constructible numbers</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Angle_trisection" title="Angle trisection">Angle trisection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Doubling_the_cube" title="Doubling the cube">Doubling the cube</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Squaring_the_circle" title="Squaring the circle">Squaring the circle</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Problem_of_Apollonius" title="Problem of Apollonius">Problem of Apollonius</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Concepts<br />and definitions</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Angle" title="Angle">Angle</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Central_angle" title="Central angle">Central</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inscribed_angle" title="Inscribed angle">Inscribed</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Axiomatic_system" title="Axiomatic system">Axiomatic system</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Axiom" title="Axiom">Axiom</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chord_(geometry)" title="Chord (geometry)">Chord</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circles_of_Apollonius" title="Circles of Apollonius">Circles of Apollonius</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Apollonian_circles" title="Apollonian circles">Apollonian circles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apollonian_gasket" title="Apollonian gasket">Apollonian gasket</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circumscribed_circle" title="Circumscribed circle">Circumscribed circle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commensurability_(mathematics)" title="Commensurability (mathematics)">Commensurability</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diophantine_equation" title="Diophantine equation">Diophantine equation</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Doctrine_of_proportion_(mathematics)" class="extiw" title="wikiquote:Doctrine of proportion (mathematics)">Doctrine of proportionality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euclidean_geometry" title="Euclidean geometry">Euclidean geometry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Golden_ratio" title="Golden ratio">Golden ratio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greek_numerals" title="Greek numerals">Greek numerals</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Incircle_and_excircles_of_a_triangle" class="mw-redirect" title="Incircle and excircles of a triangle">Incircle and excircles of a triangle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Method_of_exhaustion" title="Method of exhaustion">Method of exhaustion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parallel_postulate" title="Parallel postulate">Parallel postulate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Platonic_solid" title="Platonic solid">Platonic solid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lune_of_Hippocrates" title="Lune of Hippocrates">Lune of Hippocrates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quadratrix_of_Hippias" title="Quadratrix of Hippias">Quadratrix of Hippias</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regular_polygon" title="Regular polygon">Regular polygon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Straightedge_and_compass_construction" title="Straightedge and compass construction">Straightedge and compass construction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Triangle_center" title="Triangle center">Triangle center</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Results</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">In <a href="/wiki/Euclid%27s_elements" class="mw-redirect" title="Euclid's elements"><i>Elements</i></a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Angle_bisector_theorem" title="Angle bisector theorem">Angle bisector theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exterior_angle_theorem" title="Exterior angle theorem">Exterior angle theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euclidean_algorithm" title="Euclidean algorithm">Euclidean algorithm</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euclid%27s_theorem" title="Euclid's theorem">Euclid's theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geometric_mean_theorem" title="Geometric mean theorem">Geometric mean theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greek_geometric_algebra" class="mw-redirect" title="Greek geometric algebra">Greek geometric algebra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hinge_theorem" title="Hinge theorem">Hinge theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inscribed_angle_theorem" class="mw-redirect" title="Inscribed angle theorem">Inscribed angle theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intercept_theorem" title="Intercept theorem">Intercept theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intersecting_chords_theorem" title="Intersecting chords theorem">Intersecting chords theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intersecting_secants_theorem" title="Intersecting secants theorem">Intersecting secants theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Law_of_cosines" title="Law of cosines">Law of cosines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pons_asinorum" title="Pons asinorum">Pons asinorum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pythagorean_theorem" title="Pythagorean theorem">Pythagorean theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tangent-secant_theorem" class="mw-redirect" title="Tangent-secant theorem">Tangent-secant theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thales%27s_theorem" title="Thales's theorem">Thales's theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theorem_of_the_gnomon" title="Theorem of the gnomon">Theorem of the gnomon</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Apollonius_of_Tyana" title="Apollonius of Tyana">Apollonius</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Apollonius%27s_theorem" title="Apollonius's theorem">Apollonius's theorem</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aristarchus%27s_inequality" title="Aristarchus's inequality">Aristarchus's inequality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crossbar_theorem" title="Crossbar theorem">Crossbar theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Heron%27s_formula" title="Heron's formula">Heron's formula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Irrational_number" title="Irrational number">Irrational numbers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Law_of_sines" title="Law of sines">Law of sines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menelaus%27s_theorem" title="Menelaus's theorem">Menelaus's theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pappus%27s_area_theorem" title="Pappus's area theorem">Pappus's area theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diophantus_II.VIII" title="Diophantus II.VIII">Problem II.8 of <i>Arithmetica</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ptolemy%27s_inequality" title="Ptolemy's inequality">Ptolemy's inequality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ptolemy%27s_table_of_chords" title="Ptolemy's table of chords">Ptolemy's table of chords</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ptolemy%27s_theorem" title="Ptolemy's theorem">Ptolemy's theorem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spiral_of_Theodorus" title="Spiral of Theodorus">Spiral of Theodorus</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Centers</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cyrene,_Libya" title="Cyrene, Libya">Cyrene</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Musaeum" class="mw-redirect" title="Musaeum">Mouseion of Alexandria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Platonic_Academy" title="Platonic Academy">Platonic Academy</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greek_astronomy" title="Ancient Greek astronomy">Ancient Greek astronomy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Attic_numerals" title="Attic numerals">Attic numerals</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greek_numerals" title="Greek numerals">Greek numerals</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Latin_translations_of_the_12th_century" title="Latin translations of the 12th century">Latin translations of the 12th century</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Non-Euclidean_geometry" title="Non-Euclidean geometry">Non-Euclidean geometry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_mathematics" title="Philosophy of mathematics">Philosophy of mathematics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neusis_construction" title="Neusis construction">Neusis construction</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">History of</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/A_History_of_Greek_Mathematics" title="A History of Greek Mathematics">A History of Greek Mathematics</a></i> <ul><li>by <a href="/wiki/Thomas_Heath_(classicist)" title="Thomas Heath (classicist)">Thomas Heath</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_algebra" title="History of algebra">algebra</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_algebra" title="Timeline of algebra">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_arithmetic" class="mw-redirect" title="History of arithmetic">arithmetic</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_numerals_and_arithmetic" title="Timeline of numerals and arithmetic">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_calculus" title="History of calculus">calculus</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_calculus_and_mathematical_analysis" title="Timeline of calculus and mathematical analysis">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_geometry" title="History of geometry">geometry</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_geometry" title="Timeline of geometry">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_logic" title="History of logic">logic</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_mathematical_logic" title="Timeline of mathematical logic">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_mathematics" title="History of mathematics">mathematics</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_mathematics" title="Timeline of mathematics">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_numbers" class="mw-redirect" title="History of numbers">numbers</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_counting" title="Prehistoric counting">prehistoric counting</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_ancient_numeral_systems" title="History of ancient numeral systems">numeral systems</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_numeral_systems" title="List of numeral systems">list</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other cultures</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mathematics_in_the_medieval_Islamic_world" title="Mathematics in the medieval Islamic world">Arabian/Islamic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Babylonian_mathematics" title="Babylonian mathematics">Babylonian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_mathematics" title="Chinese mathematics">Chinese</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_mathematics" title="Ancient Egyptian mathematics">Egyptian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mathematics_of_the_Incas" title="Mathematics of the Incas">Incan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indian_mathematics" title="Indian mathematics">Indian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Japanese_mathematics" title="Japanese mathematics">Japanese</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div><b><span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Parthenon_from_west.jpg/16px-Parthenon_from_west.jpg" decoding="async" width="16" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Parthenon_from_west.jpg/24px-Parthenon_from_west.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Parthenon_from_west.jpg/32px-Parthenon_from_west.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2048" data-file-height="1536" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Ancient_Greece" title="Portal:Ancient Greece">Ancient Greece portal</a></b> •  <b><span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Nuvola_apps_edu_mathematics_blue-p.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Nuvola_apps_edu_mathematics_blue-p.svg/16px-Nuvola_apps_edu_mathematics_blue-p.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Nuvola_apps_edu_mathematics_blue-p.svg/24px-Nuvola_apps_edu_mathematics_blue-p.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Nuvola_apps_edu_mathematics_blue-p.svg/32px-Nuvola_apps_edu_mathematics_blue-p.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Mathematics" title="Portal:Mathematics">Mathematics portal</a></b></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <!-- NewPP limit report Parsed by mw‐api‐ext.codfw.main‐744c7589dd‐bqf9t Cached time: 20241125144737 Cache expiry: 2592000 Reduced expiry: false Complications: [vary‐revision‐sha1, show‐toc] CPU time usage: 0.638 seconds Real time usage: 0.841 seconds Preprocessor visited node count: 1806/1000000 Post‐expand include size: 66647/2097152 bytes Template argument size: 2402/2097152 bytes Highest expansion depth: 14/100 Expensive parser function count: 6/500 Unstrip recursion depth: 1/20 Unstrip post‐expand size: 39801/5000000 bytes Lua time usage: 0.401/10.000 seconds Lua memory usage: 21853570/52428800 bytes Number of Wikibase entities loaded: 0/400 --> <!-- Transclusion expansion time report (%,ms,calls,template) 100.00% 630.335 1 -total 22.36% 140.947 1 Template:Reflist 22.22% 140.029 1 Template:Langx 21.66% 136.528 2 Template:Navbox 18.92% 119.236 3 Template:Cite_book 18.15% 114.407 1 Template:Greek_astronomy 12.24% 77.183 1 Template:Short_description 7.40% 46.642 2 Template:Pagetype 6.43% 40.518 1 Template:Citation_needed 5.49% 34.624 1 Template:Fix --> <!-- Saved in parser cache with key enwiki:pcache:idhash:3478532-0!canonical and timestamp 20241125144737 and revision id 1254046271. Rendering was triggered because: unknown --> </div><!--esi <esi:include src="/esitest-fa8a495983347898/content" /> --><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&oldid=1254046271">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&oldid=1254046271</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Ancient_Greek_astronomical_works" title="Category:Ancient Greek astronomical works">Ancient Greek astronomical works</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Astronomy_books" title="Category:Astronomy books">Astronomy books</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_bot:_original_URL_status_unknown" title="Category:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown">CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_matches_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description matches Wikidata">Short description matches Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Ancient_Greek_(to_1453)-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text">Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements" title="Category:All articles with unsourced statements">All articles with unsourced statements</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_February_2016" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016">Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 29 October 2024, at 04:58<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-694cf4987f-9xnc6","wgBackendResponseTime":154,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.638","walltime":"0.841","ppvisitednodes":{"value":1806,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":66647,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":2402,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":14,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":6,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":39801,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 630.335 1 -total"," 22.36% 140.947 1 Template:Reflist"," 22.22% 140.029 1 Template:Langx"," 21.66% 136.528 2 Template:Navbox"," 18.92% 119.236 3 Template:Cite_book"," 18.15% 114.407 1 Template:Greek_astronomy"," 12.24% 77.183 1 Template:Short_description"," 7.40% 46.642 2 Template:Pagetype"," 6.43% 40.518 1 Template:Citation_needed"," 5.49% 34.624 1 Template:Fix"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.401","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":21853570,"limit":52428800},"limitreport-logs":"table#1 {\n [\"size\"] = \"tiny\",\n}\ntable#1 {\n [\"size\"] = \"tiny\",\n}\n"},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-api-ext.codfw.main-744c7589dd-bqf9t","timestamp":"20241125144737","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"On the Sizes and Distances (Aristarchus)","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/On_the_Sizes_and_Distances_(Aristarchus)","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7091541","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7091541","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2005-12-20T07:48:42Z","dateModified":"2024-10-29T04:58:06Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/2\/2b\/Aristarchus_working.jpg","headline":"work by Aristarchus of Samos, Greek astronomer"}</script> </body> </html>