University:
East Georgia State College
Course:
ISCI 2001 |Life & Earth Science for Early Childhood Education
Academic year:

2022
Views:

71

Pages:

2
Author:

5CelestialChronicle

Retrograde Motion HONORS Earth Science Name ____________________ Date: ____________ Hr: ___ Background: Planets tend to move across the sky in an easterly direction. Occasionally, something strange occurs. A planet appears to slow down and begin moving backward to the west. The diagram below represents Earth (inner circle) and Mars (outer circle) and are shown at several positions in their orbits around the Sun. The dashed line is what you would see in the sky, viewing from Earth. PARALLAX- RETROGRADE- Procedure 1. Look at the diagram below, where a straight line has been drawn from Earth’s position in January to Mars’ position during the same month. The straight line extends past the dotted line on the right of the page, where a third dot is plotted. Mark this point “1” 2. Repeat step 1 for the months Feb, Mar, April, May, June, July, Aug, and Sept. Make sure to extend each line approximately 1 cm past the dashed line. Place a dot at the end of the line and label the dots in order. Note: If paths cross, draw the lines slightly long and place the dots slightly farther away than you did for the other lines. 3. Using a pencil, start with the dot labeled "1" and carefully connect the dots in order with arrows. (This line represents the path Mars follows in its orbit as seen from Earth.) 4. Highlight or use a different color on the line when Mars is in retrograde Critical Thinking and Application 1. During which months does Mars appear to be moving backward in its orbit? 2. Carefully observe what is happening to Earth and Mars in their orbits when Mars seems to loop "backward." What causes Mars to seem to move backward in its orbit? 3. Consider the order of the planets in our solar system (closest to the sun outward): Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Looking from Earth, which other planets would be seen in retrograde? (assume all planets can be seen with the naked eye) 4. If we could view the planets from Mercury, which planets could be retrograde? 5. What has to be true about a planet’s orbit in order to see it in retrograde? 6. Would Jupiter’s retrograde “loop” be bigger or smaller than the Mars’s retrograde loop? Explain why. 7. If you were observing the sky for several months, which would move more planets or stars? Explain why. 8. How could you tell a planet from a star in the night sky?

Earth Science Retrogrograde Lab

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