Originally posted by PlanetXisHERE
However, our trip around the Sun now takes 365 1/4 days. Follow?
That implies the Earth has a further out orbit than when the 360 day calendars were in use. Follow?
So how did the Earth move further out from the Sun?
See, the problem here is, you've made an assumption, and tried to make it into a fact. Which is:
"Because some civilizations used a 360 day calendar (never mind that they would shift and add days), it MUST mean that Earth's orbit around the sun
was shorter."
Then you jump to your question: "So how did the Earth move further out from the sun?"
It would be much better if you actually used the Scientific Method:
1) Ask a question: "Is it possible that the Earth may have had a shorter period orbit during our recorded history of the last 3,000 years (give or
take a several centuries)?"
2) Do research to find if there is any supporting evidence that the Earth may have had a shorter year.
A) This research can not be based simply on one piece of evidence.
B) Evidence that is looked at, must be completely looked at, even if it may detract from supporting you.
3) You've found evidence that some ancient peoples had a 360 day calendar. Does this evidence have any detractors from it?
A) Yes. They would adjust by 5 days. Why would they adjust if they had a 360 day calendar that matches the progression of the sun completely?
3a) Look for other evidence: What about the other inner planets? What are their orbital periods? Are the exact and even like the 360 day calendar I'm
thinking of for Earth?
A) The answer is: No.
1) Mercury: Orbital Period = 87.969 days
2) Venus: Orbital period = 224.698 days
3) Mars: Orbital Period = 686.971 days
3b) The outer planets?
A) The answer is: No.
1) Jupiter: Orbital Period = 4,332.59 days
2) Saturn: Orbital Period = 10,759.22 days
(normally would not include Uranus or Neptune, as they would need telescopes to see them, but for the sake of data, I'll include them too: 30,799.095
and 60,190.03 days, respectively).
(also, by the way, the Earth's year is not exactly 365.25 days right now, it's actually: 365.256363004 days)
3c) Is it possible that because all the planets in our system have non perfect days (IE perfect meaning no fractions of a days in it's period), that
something disturbed them all?
A) That might be a possibility, however, we can look at over 800 Extra Solar planets that orbit other stars now.....like
Kepler 22b which has a orbital period around it's star of 289.9 days.......or
Gliese 876e which has a orbital period of 124.26 days (both planets I picked at random). Seems
like the universe as we know it doesn't like to make planets orbit their stars with exact numbers.....
4) What about the Earth's climate? A shorter orbit would affect the Earth's average temps, correct?
A) Yes it would. Right now the Earth has a average temprature of 12.6 C to 18.3 C. A 360 day year would bring the Earth around 2 million
kilometers closer to the sun, and the average temps would rise to 14.0 C to 19.6 C.
B) However, the the temperature records shows that during the time period you're looking at,
the Earth underwent a warming trend.....not
a cooling trend as being moved away from the sun, and a longer calendar would show. You can take a look at the data yourself, for the
Holocene Climatic Optimum
Conclusion: The evidence that the Earth was closer to the sun some time in the recent past is not supportive of that assumption.
1) There is no observable evidence from other planets that the Earth should have a exact, whole day calendar.
2) While some ancient people used a whole day calendar, there is no evidence that all used this, and there is evidence that those who did use one,
modified their whole day calender to make up for the faction day period.
3) Climate records of the period in question do not support that the Earth was closer to the sun and cooled some by moving away. In fact the record
shows that the Earth underwent some warming (and should be noted that the Earth's temps are caused by many factors having nothing to do with it's
orbital period).
That is how you should be investigating something. Instead, the method you are using works more like this:
"There are people on the Earth that celebrate Christmas......therefore everyone on the Earth must be a christian."
Don't make assumptions. They always come back to bite you.