Take part in the Polar Week by performing the Eratosthenes experiment!
Eratosthenes
© Wikipedia
On March 20, the Spring equinox takes place, providing the perfect opportunity to participate in the Sun Shadows project and to follow in the footsteps of the Greek scholar Eratosthenes, who made a surprisingly accurate estimate of the earth's circumference in the 3rd century BC!
This is a fun activity and easy to perform with your students! By measuring the length of the shadow of a 1m stick on March 20th, when the sun reaches its highest vertical ascent for the day (solar noon), you can calculate the circumference of the earth by using a simple equation.
Background information and how to perform the experiment can be found on the following webpages:
- Eratosthenes experiment - American Society for Engineering Education
- EAAE Eratosthenes Project – European Association for Astronomy Education
Become part of an international educational project, by adding your data to the Sun Shadows project database!
The Sun Shadows project is one of several activities through which the International Polar Foundation (IPF) participates in "Polar Week March 2012" (18-24/03), a worldwide event, which is organized by APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists). It takes place twice a year during both equinoxes. The equinoxes are the only times of year when day and night are both 12 hours long everywhere on earth, a perfect opportunity to celebrate the poles on a global scale!
You can also take part in the Polar Week by joining a webinar or teaching about polar topics. Show your participation by launching a virtual balloon.
