Gunnar_Zarncke comments on Rebutting radical scientific skepticism - Less Wrong
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If you allow indirect evidence, then the rotation of the earth around the sun follows from the seasons which are easy to observe. Or rather from the earthes tilt. Given that you confirmed a) constant (almost) distance to the sun, b) conservation of angular momentum (via observation of spinning tops), c) changing angle of midday sunlight thru the year the only remaining conclusion is that the earth circles the sun.
Almost. you have to exclude that precession of the eath is causing the changing tilt. You'd have to estimate the amount of precession (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession#Classical_.28Newtonian.29) which should be possible given some rough estimates of the mass of the earth.
Heliocentrism isn't the only theory that implies the existence of the seasons:
-- M. S. Mahoney, Dictionary of the Middle Ages
How is that a response? Gunnar didn't say "Heliocentrism, hallelujah!" He emphasized conservation of angular momentum. Maybe one should be skeptical about extrapolating that from Earth to Heaven, but just saying "I made an orrery! Look at me!" is not helpful.
Yeah, it looks as if I may have missed the main point. Sorry about that.
I'm just happy to get to use the word "orrery."