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Earth: Round or Egg-shaped


Question:  Well, I was wondering about the Earth.  Well, I would like to know if 
the Earth is really not round, but elliptical as some say.
jason p brechin

Answer:  The Earth is not quite spherical, due to what is know as "rotational
flattening." It's not egg-shaped, either, it's shaped more like a pumpkin. The
radius of the Earth at the equator is 6,378 km; at the poles it is 6,356 km.
Jupiter, which rotates once every 10 hours, is even much squashed than the
Earth. Jupiter's equatorial radius is
70,850 km; it's polar radius is 66,550 km.
richard a gerber

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