12/04/2026
Earth is an oblate spheroid!๐
๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐โ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐
Earth is not flat. Images from the Artemis II mission once again highlight our planetโs true shape. But, the Rarth isnโt a perfect sphere, itโs an oblate spheroid.
Our planet is slightly flattened at the poles and about 43 kilometers wider at the equator. This bulge forms because Earth spins, creating centrifugal force that pushes material outward, much like spinning pizza dough.
While mountains, oceans, and valleys add tiny irregularities, these account for only about 0.001% of Earthโs radius, making the oblate spheroid shape an excellent overall approximation.