This happens because of the Earth’s curvature. In reality, though, ships on the horizon disappear hull-first, and the last thing that sinks below the horizon is the top of the ship’s mast. If the Earth were flat, the entire ship would always stay in view, it would only get smaller and smaller. Grab a pair of binoculars, go to the seashore, and watch a ship sail away. To better understand the mechanics of lunar eclipses, watch our video. But in this case the Sun would have to be positioned beneath the flat disk, and flat-Earthers claim that the Sun always hovers above it, shining like a spotlight.

Yes, it can, but only at a certain illumination angle – when it’s perpendicular to the Sun’s rays. Someone might argue that a flat disk can also produce a round shadow. The only shape that makes a perfectly circular shadow every single time, no matter the object’s orientation, is a sphere.

Moreover, the Earth’s shadow on the Moon is ALWAYS circular at every lunar eclipse and doesn’t change with the Earth’s rotation. If you look at the Earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse, you’ll notice that it is curved – like a part of a circle.

Can you tell for yourself that the Earth is not flat? Yes, you can, and we’ll tell you how! ContentsĪ lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow over our natural satellite. Although the very existence of the “flat-Earth theory” is quite discouraging, we’d like to use it in a positive way – as an exercise in critical thinking. While some people are getting ready to send astronauts to Mars in just a few years, other people, apparently, still don’t believe the Earth is round.

Is the earth flat, round or both