Abstract
Since the beginnings of Astronomy, the measurement of the sizes of the different bodies in the Solar System and the distances between them has been a primary challenge. The determination of the Earth – Sun distance was the first step for many of the subsequent works: not in vain is this parameter called the “astronomical unit”. Here we will describe two topics related to this essential parameter: First, the determination of the solar radius, and second, the description of planetary transits across the solar disk. As in the rest of the book, we will concentrate our study on historical documents and visual observations.
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Vaquero, J., Vázquez, M. (2009). The Solar Diameter and the Astronomical Unit. In: The Sun Recorded Through History. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 361. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92790-9_5
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