Lab 10
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School
California State University, Fullerton *
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Course
101
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
2
Uploaded by BrigadierTitaniumSquirrel30
Question 9: Just as with superior conjunction in Question 2, conjunction is not the best
configuration to observe a superior planet in the sky. Explain why this is and explain which
configuration is best for observing a superior planet.
●
Conjunction is not the best configuration to observe superior plan because the
only planets that can be in inferior conjunction are inferior planets. The best
configuration for superior planets in the sky would be opposition because the
sun and earth are all aligned in a straight line.
Measure the synodic periods of Jupiter and Saturn .
Synodic period of Jupiter:
11.9 yrs
Synodic period of Saturn:
29.5 yrs
Question 10: Look over the synodic periods of the superior planets. Is there a trend? What value
does the synodic period of a superior planet approach as we consider planets farther and
farther away from Earth? Explain this trend.
●
The superior planets farther from Earth with bigger revolutions have a faster synodic
period due to observer planets that will go around the revolution faster making it less
time for their
synodic period.
12) Question 12: So far we have only considered elongations of planets as viewed from Earth.
Suppose you were standing on Mars, watching the planets go through their motions. Could you
use the same terminology as before to explain the configurations of other planets? Yes, you
could – the only difference would be that there is an additional inferior planet: the Earth. As an
observer on Mars, you would see the Earth go through the same configurations as any other
inferior planet. For example, when the Earth appears on the opposite side of the Sun as viewed
from Mars, it is at superior conjunction. When the Earth appears at superior conjunction from
Mars, at what configuration does Mars have as seen from Earth?
●
An opposition happens when Mars is closest to the sun. making Mars opposition to
happen about every 26 months. Opposition happens within weeks of the mars perihelion
every 15 to 17 years when Mars is closest to the sun
Mercury 116 88Days
Venus 584
225 days
Mars
780
1.9 years
Saturn 378
29.5 years
The farther a planet is from the sun the longer is sidereal period become like in question #1
where the closest it was from the sun the faster the rotation was with a longer sidereal period.
14)
The farther a planet is from the Sun, the longer its sidereal period becomes.
Making the value’s agree with the value in question #12 because it estimated that the
sidereal period of mars would be 1.87 years. 21 proving the values.
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