Two Plus Two Newer Archives  

Go Back   Two Plus Two Newer Archives > Other Topics > Science, Math, and Philosophy

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-09-2007, 09:20 PM
Stu Pidasso Stu Pidasso is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Spokane
Posts: 3,109
Default A coincidence that bothers me

I've heard it described as a "stunning stellar coincidence" that the moon exactly covers the sun during a solar eclipse. The actual "coincidence" is that the sun, which is 400 times larger than the moon, just happens to be 400 times further away from the earth than the moon.

A fourth grader can point out that the shapes of continents on a world map fit together like puzzle pieces.
In the past this was dismissed as merely a fantastic coincidence. Then came the discovery of plate tectonics.

"Fantastic" or "stellar" coincidences bother me. It seems to me that when something looks to be a "fantastic" or "stellar" coincidence theres probably a correct explanation, not dependent on chance.

Stu
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-09-2007, 09:24 PM
eviljeff eviljeff is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: couching
Posts: 5,304
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

if you were to illustrate the coincidence that the sun is 400x the size of the moon and also 400x further away from Earth, how would you do it?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-09-2007, 09:28 PM
suzzer99 suzzer99 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: guuhhhn inner nets
Posts: 13,634
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

Ok I guess I'll crosspost my reply here - before NT bans everyone involved.


I believe the current theory is that the moon formed when the early earth, and another large planetary object collided. A chunk flew off from the collision and became the moon. The rest conglomerated to form the earth. Also the leftover heat from this collision is what gives the earth it's molten core.

So it's hard to see how any pattern could exist if the moon is really just a random chunk of stuff that came out of a big collision. But who knows.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-09-2007, 09:29 PM
Stu Pidasso Stu Pidasso is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Spokane
Posts: 3,109
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

[ QUOTE ]
if you were to illustrate the coincidence that the sun is 400x the size of the moon and also 400x further away from Earth, how would you do it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would use MS PAINT.

Stu
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-09-2007, 11:43 PM
ZeeJustin ZeeJustin is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,381
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
if you were to illustrate the coincidence that the sun is 400x the size of the moon and also 400x further away from Earth, how would you do it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would use MS PAINT.

Stu

[/ QUOTE ]

Diorama using only edible parts obv. Candy coated solar system FTW.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-09-2007, 11:48 PM
ZeeJustin ZeeJustin is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,381
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

Using wikipedia numbers I get that the sun is 389.17 times as far away as the moon. The sun is 400.67 times as big.

If they were significantly closer I would agree, but those numbers are far enough apart that it's just a coincidence and probably has no real implications.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-09-2007, 11:51 PM
chezlaw chezlaw is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: corridor of uncertainty
Posts: 6,642
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

[ QUOTE ]
Using wikipedia numbers I get that the sun is 389.17 times as far away as the moon. The sun is 400.67 times as big.

If they were significantly closer I would agree, but those numbers are far enough apart that it's just a coincidence and probably has no real implications.

[/ QUOTE ]
C'mon you can find some data much more significantly closer if you just keep looking. Must try harder.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-10-2007, 12:01 AM
ZeeJustin ZeeJustin is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,381
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Using wikipedia numbers I get that the sun is 389.17 times as far away as the moon. The sun is 400.67 times as big.

If they were significantly closer I would agree, but those numbers are far enough apart that it's just a coincidence and probably has no real implications.

[/ QUOTE ]
C'mon you can find some data much more significantly closer if you just keep looking. Must try harder.

[/ QUOTE ]

All the numbers have at least 6 decimal places. Unless the numbers are wrong, the answer can't be much closer than what I figured, unless I screwed up somewhere.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-10-2007, 12:13 AM
chezlaw chezlaw is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: corridor of uncertainty
Posts: 6,642
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Using wikipedia numbers I get that the sun is 389.17 times as far away as the moon. The sun is 400.67 times as big.

If they were significantly closer I would agree, but those numbers are far enough apart that it's just a coincidence and probably has no real implications.

[/ QUOTE ]
C'mon you can find some data much more significantly closer if you just keep looking. Must try harder.

[/ QUOTE ]

All the numbers have at least 6 decimal places. Unless the numbers are wrong, the answer can't be much closer than what I figured, unless I screwed up somewhere.

[/ QUOTE ]
not the precision of the measurements but the quantity of them. Measure enough paramteres of enough objects and you'll find any plenty of 'significant' closeness.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-10-2007, 12:13 AM
FortunaMaximus FortunaMaximus is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Golden Horseshoe
Posts: 6,606
Default Re: A coincidence that bothers me

Drift over time? At some point they must have been exact or will be.

With stellar/planetary sizes, I think you can cred it as an insignificant difference.

You wouldn't be able to reassemble the continents now without some serious magma help or silly putty anyway.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.