Planetary motion • The motions of the planets are roughly confined to the ecliptic. This implies that the orbits of the planets are roughly co-planar with the orbit of the Earth about the Sun. • Not as obvious is the fact that all planets orbit the Sun in the same sense as does the Earth. This means that they usually move in the west-to-east direction on the Celestial Sphere (CCW as viewed from the NCP). However, an exception to this motion is the retrograde motion sometimes exhibited by the planets (see below). • The planets orbits are all roughly circular in shape. Earth “We revolve around the Sun like any other planet.” —Nicolaus “Of all discoveries and opinions, none may have exerted a greater effect on the human spirit than the doctrine of Copernicus. The world has scarcely become known as round and complete in itself when it was asked to waive the tremendous privilege of being the center of the universe.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 09:29:22 +0000
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