In about 280 B.C., Aristarchus devised a method of estimating the relative distance of the Sun and the Moon from Earth by:
A)measuring the angle between the Sun and Moon when the Moon is at first or third quarter.
B)calculating their orbital radii from their orbital periods around Earth, using Kepler's law.
C)noting the size of Earth's shadow on the Moon during a lunar eclipse.
D)estimating the positions of the Moon and Sun in the sky from different positions on Earth as they passed through the due south direction on the same day.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Aristarchus used the method of measuring the angle between the Sun and Moon when the Moon is at first or third quarter to estimate the relative distance of the Sun and the Moon from Earth. This method is known as the "lunar distance method."

In About 280 B