The local Sun: the spotlight over the disc

In the flat model, the Sun is small and relatively close: it circles above the disc a few thousand kilometres high, lighting one region at a time, like a spotlight. In the northern summer it follows a smaller circle, near the Tropic of Cancer; in winter, a larger circle, near the Tropic of Capricorn. Researchers of the firmament cite crepuscular rays, beams of light fanning out from the clouds, as proof of a nearby source. This dossier explains the spotlight model, the arguments and the observations you can make.

Key points

• Rowbotham calculated the Sun to be less than 700 miles (about 1,100 km) high; current versions of the model speak of a few thousand kilometres.
• The summer Sun (June) circles over the Tropic of Cancer (23.4° N); the December Sun, over the Tropic of Capricorn (23.4° S).
• Crepuscular rays seem to diverge from a point behind the clouds.
• The apparent size of the Sun is about half a degree and changes very little during the day.
• In the 3D museum and at the entrance of the Atlas, the Sun is shown as a spotlight circling under the dome.

Read the full study in the Atlas → All dossiers