A 2,700-year-old solar eclipse just revealed something surprising about Earth
A solar eclipse recorded more than 2,700 years ago is revealing surprising secrets about Earth's rotation and the Sun's ancient behavior.
ScienceDaily reports that a solar eclipse recorded more than 2,700 years ago is revealing surprising secrets about Earth's rotation and the Sun's ancient behavior.
By correcting an eight-kilometer error in the location of an ancient Chinese capital, scientists were able to reconstruct a total solar eclipse that occurred in 709 BCE and obtain more accurate measurements of how fast Earth was spinning at the time.
This science story centres on China. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Earth, Sun and Chinese.
Why it matters
Research developments are often early steps — further studies typically determine how significant they prove to be.
Key details
- Location
- China · Asia
- Reported by
- ScienceDaily
- First reported
- Key names
- Earth, Sun, Chinese, BCE
- Section
- Science
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