LESSON 1:

THE EARTH IN THE

UNIVERSE
Most Essential
Learning
Competencies
✓1. Explain how the Greeks
knew that the Earth is
spherical(S11/12PS-IVa-38)

✓Cite examples of Astronomical

phenomena known to
astronomers before the advent
of telescopes(S11/12PS-IVa-41)
 ✓1. Explain
how the
Greeks knew
that the
Earth is
spherical(S11
/12PS-IVa-
38)
OBJECTIVES
 1. Explain how the Greeks
knew that the Earth is
spherical;

-Discuss the thoughts of

philosophers about the shape
of the earth.
-Describe the size of the Earth
• Direction: Unscramble the letters of each word related to
ancient astronomy using the clues that describe it. Write your
answer in your answer sheet.

KRGEES 1. They are much noted for their contributions in

the different fields. They were not only great philosophers but
great scientists and mathematics as well.

CEILSPE 2. When one object in space, like a planet or

moon, passes through the shadow of another object in
space. .
 How did the
ancient Greeks
learn that Earth
was round?
RUBRIC
CRITERIA 1 2 3 TOTAL
Process Skills Members do not Members occasionally
demonstrate targeted demonstrate targeted
Members always
demonstrate targeted
process skills. process skills. process skills.

Time Members do not finish

on time with
Members finish on time with
incomplete data.
Members finish ahead of
time with complete data.
Management incomplete data.

Cooperation Members do not know Members have defined

their tasks and have responsibilities most of the
Members are on tasks and
have defined responsibilities
and Teamwork no defined time. at all times.
responsibilities.

Neatness and Messy workplace

during and after the
Clean and orderly workplace
with occasional mess during
Clean and orderly
workplace at all times
Orderliness activity. and after the activity. during and after the
activity.
Directions: Below are names of Greek Philosophers that
contributed greatly in the advancement of information about the
spherical shape of the earth. Write down their contributions in your
manila paper.(10 mins)

Group 1 Empedocles
Group 2 Anaxagoras
Group 3 Aristarchus of Samos
Group 4 Eratosthenes
 Group presentation ( 2mins)

Group 1 Empedocles
Group 2 Anaxagoras
Group 3 Aristarchus of Samos
Group 4 Eratosthenes
Group 1 He proposed one of the first
theories that attempt to
describe the things around
us.
- pictured the universe with
the earth at its center, and
the sun as a vast collection
of fire.
Empedocles
- described a solar eclipse.
em·peh·duh·kleez
Group 2 He was able to explain
what causes the phases of
the moon.
According to him, the moon
shone only by reflected sunlight.

Since it is a sphere, only half of it

illuminated at a time. This
Anaxagoras illuminated part that is visible from
uh·nak·suh·gaw·ruhs the earth changes periodically.
 On Earth, we can see
lunar eclipses and
solar eclipses.

What Is an Eclipse?

An eclipse (i-klips) happens when one object in space, like

a planet or moon, passes through the shadow of another
object in space.
 What Is a Lunar
Eclipse?
❑When the Moon's light is blocked by Earth, it an eclipse of the
Moon.
❑The Moon orbits, or goes around, Earth. At least twice a year,
Earth lines up just right between the Sun and the Moon. When this
happens, Earth blocks the light from the Sun to the Moon.
❑It is the Sun's light that gives the Moon its light. Earth's shadow falls
on the Moon and makes a lunar eclipse.
 What Is a Solar
Eclipse?
❑When the Sun's light is blocked by the Moon, This
kind of eclipse happens when the Moon moves in
just the right place between the Sun and Earth.

❑A solar eclipse happens during the daytime. The

daylight grows dim.
- On the 5th century B.C., Earth is considered
shaped like a sphere but there are lots of
misconceptions, ancient people thought that
the Earth was flat.
 - offered arguments for the
spherical nature of the Earth.

Empedocles Anaxagoras
- They said that during a
lunar eclipse, when the
Earth is between the sun and
the moon, they identified
the shadow of the Earth on
the moon.
 The shadow of the earth
moves across the moon
and would create a clearly
Empedocles Anaxagoras round shadow.

This suggests that

the earth is really a
sphere proving that
the earth is not flat.

Lunar eclipse
Explain how the
curved shadow
proves that
Earth must be
spherical in
shape.
The fact that the shadow
of Earth during eclipses is
always curved therefore
means that Earth must be
spherical, because only
a sphere can always cast
a round shadow,
regardless of orientation.
Another evidence that the earth is
sphere are the experiences of
sailors.
when you are in a port when a ship appears
on the horizon it is the top of the ship that is
visible first.
A wide range of astronomy texts over time use
this to illustrate the roundness of the Earth.
How did these horizon observations lead
to the conclusion that Earth must be
curved in all directions (east-west as well
as north-south)?
 These observations prove that there are
parts of the world that are hidden below
the horizon no matter which direction you
look, which means Earth must be curved in
all directions.
 As the image
suggest this is
exactly what
one would
expect on a
spherical
Earth.
Disappearing Ships
Group 3 Aristarchus of Samos (3rd
Century B.C.) proved that he
can figure out the size of the
earth through the information
that can be gathered during a
lunar eclipse.

Aristarchus of Samos
calculations on the relative sizes of, from left, the Sun,
eh·ruh·staar·kuhs Earth and Moon, from a 10th-century CE Greek copy
He is the very first Greek to profess
the heliocentric view. The word
helios means sun; centric means
centered.
This heliocentric view considered
the sun as the center of the
universe.
Aristarchus of Samos
Learned that the sun was
many time farther than the
moon and that it was much
larger than the earth.
The work's method relied on
several observations:
1. The apparent size of the
Sun and the Moon in the
sky.
Aristarchus of Samos
2. The size of the Earth's
shadow in relation to the
Moon during a lunar eclipse
3. The angle between the
Sun and Moon during a half
moon is very close to 90°.
Earth is surrounded by spheres of water, air,
and fire (“ignus”), above which lie spheres
carrying the celestial bodies beginning with
the moon (“lune”) in the lowest celestial
sphere.

Aristarchus of Samos
Group 4 The first successful attempt to
determine the size of the earth was
made by him.

He observed the angles of the

noonday sun in two Egyptian cities
that were almost opposite each
other- Syrene (now Aswan) in the
south and Alexandria in the north.

Eratosthenes
He assumed they were in the same
longitude.
eh·ruh·taas·thuh·neez
 How
Eratosthenes
calculated the
Earth's
Eratosthenes circumference?
 Erasthosthenes (240 B.C.)
used a different approach.
He measured the shadow
of Alexandria and Syrene
to calculate their angle
relative to the sun.
There were questions on
the accuracy of the
approach of
Erasthosthenes.
 He found out that in
Alexandria, the Sun
makes an angle of 7.2°
from the vertical while
0° in Syrene.

To explain the
Figure 1: Shows how Eratosthenes measured the difference, he
circumference of the Earth.
hypothesized that the
The Size of the light rays coming from
Spherical the sun are parallel,
Earth and the Earth is curved.
 Was believed to be at
a fixed position in the
sky.
However, when the
Greeks traveled to
places nearer the
equator, like Egypt,
they noticed that the
North Star is closer to
North Star the horizon
 Was believed to be at
a fixed position in the
sky.
However, when the
Greeks traveled to
places nearer the
equator, like Egypt,
they noticed that the
North Star is closer to
North Star the horizon
A. Matching type: Direction match the Greek astronomers in column A with their
important findings in column B. Write your answer in your answer sheet.
Column A Column B
1. Aristarchus A. He was able to explain what causes the phases of
the moon. According to him, the moon shone only by
reflected sunlight.

2. Eratosthenes B. The very first Greek to profess the

heliocentric view. He learned that the sun
was many times farther than the moon and
it was much larger than the earth.
3. Anaxagoras C. He measured the shadow of Alexandria
and Syrene to calculate their angle relative to
the sun.
4. Empedocles D. pictured the universe with the earth at its
center, and the sun as a vast collection of fire.
B. Explain how these phenomena/heavenly
bodies led to the discovery that the earth is
spherical. Write your answer in your
answer sheet.
•North star
•The Shape of the Sun and the Moon
•Disappearing Ships
•Lunar eclipse
Matching type: Direction match the Greek astronomers in column A with their
important findings in column B. Write your answer in your answer sheet.

Column A Column B
B 1. Aristarchus A. He was able to explain what causes the phases of
the moon. According to him, the moon shone only by
reflected sunlight.
C 2. Eratosthenes B. The very first Greek to profess the
heliocentric view. He learned that the sun
was many times farther than the moon
and it was much larger than the earth.
A 3. Anaxagoras C. He measured the shadow of Alexandria
and Syene to calculate their angle relative
to the sun.
D 4. Empedocles D. pictured the universe with the earth at its
center, and the sun as a vast collection of
fire.
The North Star was believed to be at a fixed position in
the sky. However, when the Greeks traveled to places
nearer the equator, like Egypt, they noticed that the
North Star is closer to the horizon

Shape of the Sun and the Moon

Moon and the Sun were both spherical, then
perhaps, the Earth was also spherical.
Disappearing Ships If the Earth was flat, then a ship traveling
away from an observer should become smaller and smaller until it
disappeared. However, the Greeks observed that the ship became
smaller and then its hull disappeared first before the sail as if it was
being enveloped by the water until it completely disappeared.

Lunar Eclipse when the moon or part of it is being covered by a

shadow for a brief moment. This happens when the Earth casts its
shadow to the moon when the Earth is located between the Sun and
the moon. The moon changes into a dark or blood red color.
 HOME-BASED ACTIVITY
Given the laws of planetary motions below,
be able to share what you already know
about these. Write the answer in your
notebook.
1.The Law of Ellipses
2.The Law of Equal Areas
3.The Law of Harmonies