To understand how evidence allows us to distinguish between alternate possible models of the solar system. Imagine that you did not know whether Earth is the center of the solar system (as the Greeks assumed) or just one planet going around the Sun. In this activity, you will consider a set of observations, some real and some not real, that could help you distinguish between the Greek Earth-centered model and our modern Sun-centered model. Note that, in the Greek Earth-centered model, the planets Mercury and Venus lie between Earth and the Sun, while all other planets orbit Earth beyond the orbit of the Sun.
Consider the following observations. Classify each observation based on whether it is a real observation (a true statement of something we can actually see from Earth) or one that is not real (a statement of something that does not really occur as seen from Earth).
1) Mercury goes through a full cycle of phases.
2) Moon rises in east, sets in west.
3) stars circle daily around north or south celestial pole.
4) positions of nearby stars shift slightly back & forth each year.
5) a distant galaxy rises in east, sets in west each day.
6) a planet beyond Saturn rises in west, sets in east.
7) we sometimes see a crescent Jupiter.

The correct answers to the question are

The true statements that can be observed from the Earth includes

(2), (3), (4), (5) and (6)

False statement, something that does not really occur as seen from the earth includes

(1) and (7)

Explanation:

The true statements that can be observed from the Earth includes

2) Moon rises in east, sets in west.

Earth rotates west to east making objects in the ski appear to rise in the east and set in the west

3) stars circle daily around north or south celestial pole.

Circumpolar stars move around the north and south poles in circles daily

4) positions of nearby stars shift slightly back & forth each year.

As the Earth revolves round the sun over the year the position of nearby stars appear to shift back and forth

5) a distant galaxy rises in east, sets in west each day.

Earth rotates west to east making objects in the ski appear to rise in the east and set in the west

6) a planet beyond Saturn rises in west, sets in east.

The rotation of the earth determines the rise and setting of a planet

False statement, something that does not really occur as seen from the earth

1) Mercury goes through a full cycle of phases.

At full phase, Mercury is obscured by the glare of the Sun

7) we sometimes see a crescent Jupiter.

An object should be in between the Earth and the sun before it will be possible to see it in crescent phase