Why did Herschel's initial star gauging lead to the incorrect conclusion that the Sun was near the center of the structure?
Answer
The geometric effect of observing from within a disk biases the center calculation
When observing toward the galactic plane, the line of sight passes through a vast column of stars, while looking perpendicular (out of the disk) involves a much shorter column, creating a bias that naturally leads an observer within a disk to perceive themselves as being at the center.
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