  == Earth's orbit and rotation, a hypothesis?==  The ideas of a flat earth, Counter-Earth, and Central Fire were all eventually superseded by the hypothesis which is currently held by the scientific community, that is, of a spherical earth rotating around both its own axis and the sun.   Is this idea really just a hypothesis? I would think that all the spacecraft that have left earths orbit, been effected by the Sun's gravity, effected and captured by gravity of other objects, experienced Impairment and loss of Line of site of line-of-site, usually by design or prediction, would be more than sufficient to prove the earth orbits the Sun. In addition, satellites that orient themselves to the position of the Sun, keep cameras pointed at the earth and have located at least one other moving object in space, would confirm the earths orbit of the Sun. and its rotation around it's axis.