Lab Report 9_Planetary Configuration_Template (1) (1)

Lab Report 3 Planetary Configurations and Synodic Periods Name: Completed Data: A B C D E F G H I Planet Number of Inferior Conjunctions in one Earth orbit Number of Earth’s orbits between successive inferior conjunctions Number of Earth’s orbits between successive planetary oppositions Greatest eastern elongation angle (degrees) Greatest western elongation angle (degrees) Greatest eastern angular separation (degrees) Greatest Western angular separation (degrees) Planetary Orbital Radius (AU) Mercury 3 1/3 N/A 23 23 N/A N/A 0.3 9 Venus N/A 1/6 N/A 6 6 N/A N/A 0.7 2 Mars N/A N/A 8 N/A N/A 81 1.52 1.5 2 Jupiter N/A N/A N/A N/A Saturn N/A N/A N/A N/A The fact that a different set of measurements were acquired for Mercury and Venus than the set measurements for Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn is due to what difference between these two groups of planets ? Answer: /50

Post Lab Questions: Write your answers in the space provided. For the multiple choice questions, indicate your answers by making them bold or italics or by underlining or something like that to make them obvious. 1. Which planet has the longest period between oppositions? Answer: mars 2. Which planet has the shortest period between inferior conjunctions? Answer: Mercury 3. Which planet(s) can be seen can be seen only as Morning stars or Evening stars ? Answer: venus 4. The planet _____________ moves most rapidly with respect to the constellations in the zodiac strip . a. Mars b. Jupiter c. Saturn 5. The planet ____________ moves most slowly with respect to the constellations in the Zodiac Strip . a. Jupiter b. Mars c. Saturn 6. Of the three following planets ___________ has the shortest period between successive oppositions. a. Saturn b. Uranus c. Neptune 7. Mercury has _____________ greatest elongation angles than Venus.