Chapter 14 SkyGazer CD-ROM Activities

The Superior Planets

INTRODUCTION The planets farther from the Sun than Earth, including Mars, are often called the superior planets. Their motion will be the focus of this activity. PART 1: WHICH PLANETS ARE THE SUPERIOR PLANETS? 1. Select The Solar System under the Explore menu. 2. Zoom in and out between 5 AU and 50 AU. Which planets are superior? Record them on the RESULTS sheet. 3. Use the Time button to advance time and watch the planets orbit the Sun. Record your observations on the RESULTS sheet. PART 2: THE PERIODS OF MARS 1. Select Paths of the Planets under the Explore menu, then select Path of Mars. 2. Move the up-and-down scroll bar in the Orbits of Earth and Mars display all the way up so you are viewing the orbits from above. The window should look similar to Figure 14-1.

Figure 14-1 The orbits of Earth and Mars viewed from above

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3. Advance the Date button until Earth is between Mars and the Sun. When Earth is between the Sun and a superior planet, the configuration is called opposition. From Earth, the planet will appear opposite the Sun in the sky. Record the date of Marss opposition (found at the bottom of the Orbits of Earth and Mars window) on the RESULTS sheet. 4. Now advance the date until the Sun is between Earth and Mars. This configuration is called superior conjunction. Record the date on the RESULTS sheet. 5. Next, advance the date until Mars is again at opposition. Record on the RESULTS sheet the date of this opposition and determine the approximate synodic period of Mars. This is the time between two identical configurations between the planet, Earth, and the Sun. 6. Take note of the position of Mars in its orbit around the Sun. Advance time again, but this time ignore Earth. Stop when Mars has returned to approximately the same position in its orbit around the Sun that it had when you started. One of the bright stars in the window may be a good starting and stopping point. The amount of time required for a planet to orbit the Sun is called its sidereal period. Determine and record on the RESULTS sheet Marss approximate sidereal period.

PART 3: COMPARING THE PERIODS 1. Again using the Paths of the Planets/Path of Mars under the Explore menu, advance the date until Mars returns to approximately the same position in its orbit around the Sun in the Orbits of Earth and Mars display. 2. Is Mars at superior conjunction again? If not, continue to advance the date until you reach the next superior conjunction, and answer the questions on the RESULTS sheet. 3. Advance the date again. This time, watch carefully for what happens when Mars is at opposition. Record your observation on the RESULTS sheet.

PART 4: LOOP-THE-LOOP File | Open Settings | Planets and Satellites | Mars in Retrograde 1. Advance time and watch Mars move through the stars. Record the required information on the RESULTS sheet.

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PART 5: SEEING MARS FROM EARTH 1. Under the Explore menu, select Phases of the Planets and then Phases of Mars. Again, move the up-and-down scroll bar in the Orbits of Earth and Mars display all the way up so you are viewing the orbits from above. 2. Advance the date until Mars is at superior conjunction. Record the phase of Mars and draw it in the box in Figure 14-4 on the RESULTS sheet. 3. Now advance time and observe the phases until Mars is at opposition. Record the phase at opposition and draw it in the box in Figure 14-4 on the RESULTS sheet.

PART 6: KEPLERS THIRD LAW File | Open Settings | Planets and Satellites | Venus and Jupiter 2065 1. Read about Keplers laws under Basic Concepts: Motion of the Planets: Keplers Three Laws in the Sky Guide under the Explore menu. 2. Use the button to zoom out until the Sun appears and moves to the center of your Sky Chart. 3. Click on Solar System on your Location Panel; change the Latitude to 90. 4. Bring up and extend the Planet Panel and click on the Path buttons for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Click off the inner planets and Pluto. Make sure the Sun is locked 5. Use the Time Panel to advance time manually in 6-month steps to estimate the orbital (sidereal) periods of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Record each period in the table on the RESULTS sheet. 6. Click on each planet to bring up its Info Panel and record on the RESULTS sheet the planets Semimajor Axis found under the Orbit tab. Also record each planets Orbital Period and compare it to what you estimated in Step 4. 7. Verify Keplers third law for each planets orbit as you did in Activity 13. Enter your calculations in the table on the RESULTS sheet.

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RESULTS SHEET 14 The Superior Planets

NAME DATE SECTION

PART 1: WHICH PLANETS ARE THE SUPERIOR PLANETS? Which planets are considered the superior planets?

Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto

The superior planets orbit the Sun CLOCKWISE | COUNTERCLOCKWISE (circle one). PART 2: THE PERIODS OF MARS Date of Marss opposition: jun 12 2001 Date of Marss superior conjunction: Aug 10 2002 Date of Marss next opposition: Aug 25 2003 Synodic period of Mars = 780 Sidereal period of Mars = 680 days days

In Figure 14-2, draw Mars in its orbit at the positions of both opposition and superior conjunction.

Figure 14-2 Positions of Mars at both opposition and superior conjunction

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PART 3: COMPARING THE PERIODS The SYNODIC | SIDEREAL (circle one) period of Mars is the longer period. Does this agree with your results from Part 2? YES | NO (circle one) When you viewed Mars from Earth, what did you observe it do at opposition? Its gets smaller, then its covered up by the sun PART 4: LOOP-THE-LOOP Draw the path of Mars you observed through the stars on Figure 14-3.

Figure 14-3 Marss retrograde motion.

Date Mars began retrograde: Date retrograde ended: Duration of retrograde:

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PART 5: SEEING MARS FROM EARTH In each box in Figure 14-4 below draw the phase of Mars you observed.

Figure 14-4 The phases of Mars at superior conjunction and opposition

What difference do you notice in the appearance of Mars in the two configurations? What is the reason for this difference?
Mars is much larger in superior conjunction because its closer to earth

In which of the configurations would Mars appear brighter? Explain your reasoning.

superior conjunction because its closer to earth

Which configuration would be better for viewing Mars? Explain your reasoning.

superior conjunction because its closer to earth

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What differences do you notice between the phases of Mars and those of Venus?

The earth never fully eclipses Mars like it does Venus

(To review Venuss phases, go to Explore | Phases of the Planets | Phases of Venus.)

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PART 6: KEPLERS THIRD LAW Orbital Period Orbital Estimated Period (years) *(years) Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
*

Semimajor Axis (AU)

P2

a3

From Step 5

Does Keplers third law seem to hold for the outer planets?

Which of the outer planets seems to have the most eccentric orbit?

CONCLUSION
In the space below, write a conclusion for this activity. Briefly explain what you did and what you learned from it.

I learned about the orbit of Mars and its different phases.

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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14: THE SUPERIOR PLANETS MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Which planet is not considered superior? a. Saturn b. Jupiter c. Mars d. [All of the above ARE superior.] 2. In which phase will a superior NOT be observed? a. new b. full c. gibbous d. [Actually, superior planets go through entire cycle phases.] 3. Which period of a superior planet is longer? a. synodic b. sidereal c. [Both periods are the same.] 4. Which period of a superior planet is NOT observable from Earth? a. synodic b. sidereal c. [Both periods are observed from Earth.] 5. At which position is a superior planet in retrograde motion? a. superior conjunction b. inferior conjunction c. quadrature d. opposition

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6. In which position will a superior planet appear full? a. superior conjunction b. opposition c. quadrature d. [two of the above] 7. At which position is a superior planet closest to Earth? a. superior conjunction b. inferior conjunction c. quadrature d. opposition 8. At which position should a superior planet appear brightest? a. superior conjunction b. inferior conjunction c. quadrature d. opposition 9. At which position should a superior planet appear dimmest? a. superior conjunction b. inferior conjunction c. quadrature d. opposition 10. In which position is a superior planet NEVER seen? a. superior conjunction b. inferior conjunction c. quadrature d. opposition

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OPEN-ENDED ACTIVITY
Use the skills you learned in this activity to try to determine a date of Marss next opposition. Make a drawing to show where Mars will be seen from your location. Record the date and time of the observation and the direction you will be looking. Include the horizon in your drawing. Also attempt to record the beginning and end dates of Marss retrograde motion during the opposition April 11 2014 South east

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