I'd like to split a discussion off from
this other thread since it's quite the tangent from that original topic.
JRowe has a unique version of a flat earth model that he's dubbed
Dual Earth Theory. I first became aware of this when he introduced an alternative theory for explaining the phases of the moon in
another discussion topic. There we wrangled over whether or not we see the same "face" of the moon as it goes through it's lunar phase cycle.
In the Dual Earth Model, the moon (like all celestial bodies) is a "star," emanating its own light rather than reflecting it. It is like a rocky canister, encapsulating molten metal that acts akin to a spotlight:
It rotates as it circles the sun, projecting an image of the lit "face" of the moon on a dome over the twin flat hemiplanes of earth. It is this rotation, and not the relative positions of the sun and moon and the angle on which the sunlight is reflected off the moon's surface that is responsible for the observation of the moon's phases from earth. Something like this:
Quote from DET Overview:
The moon is the final such entity. The same basic principles hold [as for the sun], though it doesn't exist in the center. Instead, it rotates around the Sun, as well as on its own [axis][/i]: hence the phases. As it rotates, it will have its image projected by the same flow of aether, to the top and bottom [/i][hemiplanes][/i]. Sometimes this will be a full moon, and sometimes less of the face will be visible. Common belief is that the same face of the moon faces us at all times. this is an optical illusion: any notable features will still be visible on the tilted moon, so we will certainly observe some similarities. The moon is too far away for us to say anything more. [/i]
This DET claim was challenged in the Full Moon Impossible topic when several members presented images of a moon exhibiting what is known as "earthshine," like:
And with time lapse image of the moon going through its phases:
Using Stellarium (equatorial mount, earth rendered invisible, atmosphere removed), I captured a similar sequence of images of the moon's predicted image over the next month, starting with last night's full moon:
The above is from a simulation, and the animated image directly preceding is claimed to have been from the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) satellite. As such, both might be rejected if presented as contrary evidence to the DET claim due to skepticism or disparagement of the sources.
So I propose a direct observation of the moon over the next 28 days (or as many of those days as the moon is visible), capturing images of the moon to see if the terminator of the moon does, in fact, sweep over a non-rotating face or if the moon rotates as stated by DET, the phases of the moon are the result of rotation of a spotlight. I will take it upon myself to capture images from my vantage point (San Diego), but I welcome the participation of others. Care should be taken to get enough detail and get the right exposure to capture the moon's surface detail so that we can determine if the face is rotating away/toward the earth or always facing the earth.
Any "earthshine" images showing moon features in shadow (or alternatively, where the rocky encasement theorized by DET should be), would be a bonus.