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Published 2007 Revised 2009
Mathematics has always been a powerful tool for studying, measuring and calculating the movements of the planets, and this article gives several examples.
Mathematics has allowed us now to measure lots of things about eclipses and so calculate exactly when they will happen, where they can be seen from, and what they will look like.
This article explores ths history of theories about the shape of our planet. It is the first in a series of articles looking at the significance of geometric shapes in the history of astronomy.