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You are here: Home / Universe / Is the Earth Perfectly Round?

Is the Earth Perfectly Round?

February 16, 2020 by Karen Hill

No, the earth is not a perfect sphere. It’s actually squashed in a bit at the poles, and widest at the equator.

The diameter of the earth, an imaginary line drawn through the center of the earth from one side to the other, is about 7,926 miles at the equator, but only about 7,900 miles from pole to pole. The earth is more than 26 miles wider at the equator than it is at the poles!

The term that mathematicians would use to describe the shape of the earth is oblate spheroid.

The earth actually has four corners, points where the surface of the earth bulges slightly. These corners are in Ireland, and in the oceans near Peru, South Africa, and New Guinea!

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  • How Does the Moon Always Keep the Same Face Toward Earth?
  • Would a Polar Bear Weigh Less At the Equator Than At the South Pole?
  • Why Is There a Simultaneous High Tide On Both Sides of the Earth and What Causes the Tide Generating Force?
  • What Causes the Ocean Tides and Why Are There Two High Tides Every Day?
  • Why Is the Earth, the Moon, Other Planets and Heavenly Bodies Round or Spherical?

Filed Under: Universe

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Can the Sun Burn Without Oxygen?
Next Post: How Long Has There Been Life on Earth? »

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