[Vivisectus]

Originally Posted by peacegirl

I don't know if there is another explanation. That's why experiments closer to home are the only way to find out.

This really is another O'Reilly moment isn't it? I don't know how stuff works, therefor Lessans is right.

We know the orbit of Jupiter. We know the orbits of its moons. We know them well enough to be able to fire unmanned craft right past them to get a close-up look both at the moons and at Jupiter - and we have done so.

We know the time it really takes for the moons to orbit Jupiter. We have observed these orbits up close using those same unmanned craft.

There is a difference in timing of the eclipses of Jupiters moons. A difference that matches the difference in distance from Jupiter to us on that particular instance of its orbit, measured in light-minutes.

It is clear evidence that sight is not direct. Unilaterally deciding that evidence from astronomy does not count does not change that. If only he had not looked down on academic study so much he could have known this - a simple adult course science 101 would have sufficed.