Imagine for a moment that despite all the evidence, Earth actually is not rotating and orbiting the Sun. Which of these hypothetical observations (none of them are real)would be inconsistent with our Sun- centered view of the solar system?
A)We discover an Earth- sized planet orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Pluto.
B)We discover a small planet beyond Saturn that rises in the west and sets in the east each day.
C)We find that we are unable to measure any parallax for a distant galaxy.
D)We discover that the universe is actually contracting, not expanding.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the Earth were not rotating and orbiting the Sun, then the apparent daily motion of celestial bodies would be due to the rotation of the universe around a stationary Earth. If a planet beyond Saturn rose in the west and set in the east each day, it would be moving in the opposite direction of all other celestial bodies, which would be inconsistent with our understanding of the solar system. The other options are not directly related to our understanding of the solar system being Sun-centered.

Imagine for a Moment That Despite All the Evidence, Earth