Which of the following is NOT an argument for showing that the Earth must be round:the height of the North Star changes as we travel to different latitudesthe Sun is seen blocking different constellations in the course of a yearphotographs of the Earth from space always show a round bodyduring an eclipse of the Moon, the shadow of the Earth is always seen to be roundwhen ships travel a large distance away, we see their hulls disappear first and their masts disappear last
the Sun is seen blocking different constellations in the course of a year
The argument that “photographs of the Earth from space always show a round body” is actually a strong argument towards showing that the Earth must be round. In fact, it is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence we have that the Earth is a spherical shape. The fact that we consistently see a round image of the Earth in photographs taken from space is because the Earth is, in fact, round.
The other arguments listed are also compelling pieces of evidence for the roundness of the Earth. The change in the height of the North Star as we travel to different latitudes is due to the curvature of the Earth’s surface. The fact that the Sun is seen blocking different constellations in the course of a year is due to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. During an eclipse of the Moon, the shadow of the Earth is always seen to be round, which is because the Earth casts a circular shadow on the Moon when it blocks the Sun’s light.
When ships travel a large distance away, we see their hulls disappear first and their masts disappear last, which is also evidence for the curvature of the Earth’s surface. As the ship travels farther and farther away, it appears to sink below the horizon, because the Earth’s surface is curving away from our line of sight. This is why we see the hull disappear first, as it is at a lower level than the masts, which are visible for a slightly longer period of time before eventually disappearing as well.
In summary, all of the arguments listed provide evidence for the roundness of the Earth, except for the statement that photographs of the Earth from space always show a round body, which is actually a strong argument in favor of the Earth being a spherical shape.
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