Americans are sooooooo stupid.

[goon attack]

An axis is a CENTRAL point. The sun is NOT A central point.

It's not? Then what is the center of our solar system? The moon? Are you French?

[glen a richter]

And by the way, Marco is spot on.

You can split hairs all you want all day long about the Websters definition of the word, and if they say it's interchangeable then good for them, it is. But in the context of an astronomy question, it's not interchangeable. The two words mean two different things when relating to the question at hand: Which object rotates around the Earth is scientifically incomplete.

Which object rotates and revolves around the Earth, or simply which object revolves around the Earth would be complete and correct.

[goon attack]

And by the way, Marco is spot on.

You can split hairs all you want all day long about the Websters definition of the word, and if they say it's interchangeable then good for them, it is. But in the context of an astronomy question, it's not interchangeable. The two words mean two different things when relating to the question at hand: Which object rotates around the Earth is scientifically incomplete.

Which object rotates and revolves around the Earth, or simply which object revolves around the Earth would be complete and correct.

So, if you put a hockey puck on the edge of a merry go round and turn on the merry go round, what would the puck be doing? Nothing? It's not spinning on its axis so it's not rotating.

Is it merely revolving around the center of the merry go round. OR, is it rotating from point to point around the center of the merry go round?

[glen a richter]

An axis is a CENTRAL point. The sun is NOT A central point.

It's not? Then what is the center of our solar system? The moon? Are you French?

Obviously you're not familiar with an ellipse, a circle and the definition of center.

A center point is a point equidistant from all points radiating out from it in all directions.

An ellipse is an eccentric shape derived from the angular cutting of a cone, or in laymans terms, an oval. An oval doesn't have a center, it has two ellipses.

Earths orbit is, just like every other planet, elliptical, with the sun at one of the two foci -- not center. Therefore, at different points during the year, we're at different distances from the sun. If we did orbit in a circle with a center point, we'd be equidistant from the sun at all points during the year.

I'll cut you a break if you can tell me correctly which season we're furthest from the sun.

[glen a richter]

And by the way, Marco is spot on.

You can split hairs all you want all day long about the Websters definition of the word, and if they say it's interchangeable then good for them, it is. But in the context of an astronomy question, it's not interchangeable. The two words mean two different things when relating to the question at hand: Which object rotates around the Earth is scientifically incomplete.

Which object rotates and revolves around the Earth, or simply which object revolves around the Earth would be complete and correct.

So, if you put a hockey puck on the edge of a merry go round and turn on the merry go round, what would the puck be doing? Nothing? It's not spinning on its axis so it's not rotating.

Is it merely revolving around the center of the merry go round. OR, is it rotating from point to point around the center of the merry go round?

It's revolving around the center. But, then again, the center of the merry-go-round is rotating. Then you're making two assumptions: 1) the sun is a central point, which I addressed earlier and 2) that the sun rotates on its own axis (which it technically does, but not at a fixed rate since it's not a solid body) and that the revolution of the planets around the sun are a direct result of the suns rotation on its own axis, which is ludicrous.

[goon attack]

Obviously you're not familiar with an ellipse, a circle and the definition of center.

A center point is a point equidistant from all points radiating out from it in all directions.

An ellipse is an eccentric shape derived from the angular cutting of a cone, or in laymans terms, an oval. An oval doesn't have a center, it has two ellipses.

Earths orbit is, just like every other planet, elliptical, with the sun at one of the two foci -- not center. Therefore, at different points during the year, we're at different distances from the sun. If we did orbit in a circle with a center point, we'd be equidistant from the sun at all points during the year.

I'll cut you a break if you can tell me correctly which season we're furthest from the sun.

The point is that the earth continually circles the sun. Ellipse or perfect circle...it's irrelevant. The planets are in a continual motion around a center. the center can be a variable distance at each point during each revolution.

The definition of rotate is to "turn around an axis or center"

Just as the Midwest is called the "center" of the country, the precise point is irrelevant to the general term.

[glen a richter]

Obviously you're not familiar with an ellipse, a circle and the definition of center.

A center point is a point equidistant from all points radiating out from it in all directions.

An ellipse is an eccentric shape derived from the angular cutting of a cone, or in laymans terms, an oval. An oval doesn't have a center, it has two ellipses.

Earths orbit is, just like every other planet, elliptical, with the sun at one of the two foci -- not center. Therefore, at different points during the year, we're at different distances from the sun. If we did orbit in a circle with a center point, we'd be equidistant from the sun at all points during the year.

I'll cut you a break if you can tell me correctly which season we're furthest from the sun.

The point is that the earth continually circles the sun. Ellipse or perfect circle...it's irrelevant. The planets are in a continual motion around a center. the center can be a variable distance at each point during each revolution.

I believe I've finished with getting my point across

And your point was that the sun is the center of the solar system, which by the nature of all the planets orbits around the sun, is not true.

[goon attack]

It's revolving around the center. But, then again, the center of the merry-go-round is rotating. Then you're making two assumptions: 1) the sun is a central point, which I addressed earlier and 2) that the sun rotates on its own axis (which it technically does, but not at a fixed rate since it's not a solid body) and that the revolution of the planets around the sun are a direct result of the suns rotation on its own axis, which is ludicrous.

How can it be revolving if it's a fixed part of the merry go round? Does it have its own force?

That's like saying that when you hold your arms out and spin in circles, your hands are revolving around your body.

Your entire body is rotating, no? Then it stands that the hockey puck is rotating with the merry go round.

[glen a richter]

It's revolving around the center. But, then again, the center of the merry-go-round is rotating. Then you're making two assumptions: 1) the sun is a central point, which I addressed earlier and 2) that the sun rotates on its own axis (which it technically does, but not at a fixed rate since it's not a solid body) and that the revolution of the planets around the sun are a direct result of the suns rotation on its own axis, which is ludicrous.

How can it be revolving if it's a fixed part of the merry go round?

That's like saying that when you hold your arms out and spin in circles, your hands are revolving around your body.

Your entire body is rotating, no? Then it stands that the hockey puck is rotating with the merry go round.

Is the metal pole in the middle of the merry-go-round turning with the rest of the merry-go-round, and is it a key component in the rest of the thing turning?

It's physically connected. We're not physically connected to the sun, nor is any other planet. We're gravitationally bound, but we don't rely on the rotation of the sun to revolve around it. If we did, we'd all revolve at the same rate.

[goon attack]

We're not physically connected? Really? Then what is between the earth and the sun? Nothing? Nothing exists between them? I reject that. I think matter exists everywhere.

[glen a richter]

We're not physically connected? Really? Then what is between the earth and the sun? Nothing? Nothing exists between them? I reject that. I think matter exists everywhere.

We're connected by a gravitational attraction, not a metal rod.

[STL JA]

So, basically...

Glen's head is so big the moon revolves around it.

[glen a richter]

So, basically...

Glen's head is so big the moon revolves around it.

Only if my head was the Earth.

[goon attack]

We're not physically connected? Really? Then what is between the earth and the sun? Nothing? Nothing exists between them? I reject that. I think matter exists everywhere.

We're connected by a gravitational attraction, not a metal rod.

I got yer metal rod right here.

[marco]

So, when Merriam-Webster put "revolve" in the definition of "rotate" they just made a mistake.

Is that what you'd have us believe?

That's not what I said... but thanks for playing anyway.

[/my participation in this thread]

[glen a richter]

We're not physically connected? Really? Then what is between the earth and the sun? Nothing? Nothing exists between them? I reject that. I think matter exists everywhere.

We're connected by a gravitational attraction, not a metal rod.

I got yer metal rod right here.

What happened, you lost the original by pulling too hard?

[stinkdified]

That reminds me of:

how do these people make it on the show, mabye the producers do it on purpose just for a good time

You do see that is photoshopped, right?
just checking.

I didn't really even think about it... ...i should have known better
it really just reminded me of when I saw that a year or so ago, so i went lookin for it and found it in google images.

[goon attack]

I didn't realize the one was photoshopped where the guy picked an elephant as being larger than the moon.

[WaukeeBlues]

A solid percentage don't know what century the Civil War happened in.

CENTURY.

the numbers 1 and 8 followed by ANY two numbers. Unreal.