BellaOnline Forums Education Astronomy Columbus and the Flat Earth Myth

Doesn't everyone know that in the 15th century people thought the Earth was flat? And that brave Christopher Columbus sailed westward from Spain to get to Asia to show that the Earth was round? Once I'd have answered “Yes” to both of these questions, but it turns out that they are myths.

Columbus and the Flat Earth Myth

Artist: Phil Juliano
https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/l/leif_erikson.asp

On October 12, 2015, I was in Trondheim, the Viking capital of Norway, on an astronomy voyage. A statue of of Leif Erikson lies not far from where the ship docked.

I couldn't link to my colleague's photo from Facebook, so the above picture is from the internet. But he wrote:

Stands to reason that the Norse would find North America. All they had to do was follow the coastline. They decided not to stay in N.,A. as everything that they found here was plentiful in Norway. They didn't stay and I don't know that there are records that they met anyone while they were here. Do you know?

I took in 3 great talks on Columbus. Now he crossed the Atlantic; underestimated the distances, had no idea where he was and discovered a New World. Granted he was an explorer not a governor but he was not genocidal as so many claim. The speakers talked about his diaries as a great source of information.