(Courtesy: Claus Lunau/Science Photo Library)

It is interesting to me that so many intelligent people have adopted the flat earth hypothesis. The first thing I thought of when I had this conversation recently with my son was that gravity makes flat earth impossible.

Velocity And Gravity

Earth passes through the universe at an average velocity of 67,000 miles an hour. Our solar system is moving within the Milky Way Galaxy at nearly 490,000 miles per hour. The Earth rotates at 1,000 miles an hour. Despite these immense forces acting upon the people of our planet, none of us feels this great velocity or flies off into space. Why? Gravity.

Gravity holds us on the planet by exerting a force that pulls each one of us toward the center of Earth. This force is caused by the planet’s mass, which is greater than our bodies. The interesting fact about this gravity that makes our life possible is that it can only work on a spherical planet where the force is the same all over the surface. Einstein said that gravity is a result of the curvature of spacetime caused by mass.

If the Earth was flat, the forces of gravity acting upon this disc by the Sun and other planets would destroy all life on Earth. It is only because of our gravitational force and electromagnetic shield that the mass of the Sun and other planets does not pull us out of our orbit and destroy our planet instantly.

Earth’s Electromagnetic Field

There is also an electromagnetic force field that surrounds Earth that originates at each of the two poles, North and South. This electromagnetism shields the people of Earth from the massive electromagnetic radiation that includes infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma rays. These forces are deflected by Earth because our planet is a sphere that has an electromagnetic force field that surrounds the entire planet.

This force field is possible and exists only because the center core of our earth, as a sphere, has a molten iron core that rotates inside the sphere of the earth, producing a magnetic field that acts as an invisible protective barrier around the outer part of the sphere of Earth.

Unless our planet was a sphere with a spherical iron core that was constantly in motion, we would all die within a few minutes.

There are also many logical questions that I have about Earth being flat. Why, since April 12, 1961, when man first had the capacity to exit Earth’s gravitational field and we saw the first pictures of a spherical Earth, has no one presented a photo that proves Earth is flat with a dome over it?

The Ability To See Earth’s Curvature From the Surface

Standing on Earth at ground level, we can only see the curvature of the Earth at a distance of about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) because of Earth’s curvature blocking our view beyond that point. Standing on an elevated surface below 30,000 feet does not allow us to see the physical curvature of the Earth. Even from the tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, 29,029 feet, the curvature of our planet is only slightly visible.

The Math That Demonstrates This Curvature is as Follows:

“Everest is 9km high. Earth has a radius of 6371km. So if the angle between a radius to the horizon and a radius to Everest is `x` we can write `9 + 6371 = 6371 sec (x)`. Solving for `x` we get about 3 degrees, meaning you can see 3/180 of the Earth in every direction” (charbury).

To see the curvature of the Earth with human eyes, we must be at an elevation of at least 35,000 feet above sea level on a clear day, with a wide field of view.

At an elevation of 40,000 feet, Earth’s curvature is visible to the human eye, showing a distinct curve visible on the horizon–when looking across a wide expanse like an ocean. People in an airplane often have this experience at high altitudes.

Rockets Launched Into Space

When a rocket is launched into space from Earth, it must begin to curve within a few seconds of liftoff. This is because of Earth’s gravity, which constantly pulls the rocket downwards, causing its trajectory to bend into a curved path as it ascends. This curved path is necessary because of Earth’s elliptical shape and orbit—demonstrating that our planet is not flat but spherical.

Additional Observations That Make A Flat Earth Impossible:

“A flat Earth is impossible because numerous observations and scientific evidence demonstrate that the Earth is a sphere, including the curvature of the horizon, different sunrise and sunset times depending on location, the ability to see different constellations based on latitude, and the way gravity would behave on a flat surface, pulling people towards the center, not “down” as we experience it; all of these phenomena cannot be explained by a flat Earth model.”

This essay will be updated from time to time…

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Categories: Robert Clifton Robinson