What prevented Ole Rømer from calculating an accurate value for the speed of light from his measurements of the delays in eclipse times of Jupiter's moons?
A) The dimensions of the solar system, particularly the length of 1 au, were not known very accurately.
B) Telescopes were not good enough at that time to show Jupiter's moons clearly, and accurate timings were not possible.
C) The distance between Earth's orbit and Jupiter's orbit was unknown.
D) The clocks available at that time were not sufficiently accurate.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The primary reason Ole Rømer couldn't calculate an accurate value for the speed of light was that the dimensions of the solar system, especially the length of 1 astronomical unit (au), were not known with precision at his time. This knowledge was crucial for determining the speed of light based on the observed delays in the eclipses of Jupiter's moons.

What Prevented Ole Rømer from Calculating an Accurate Value for the Speed