next up previous
Next: Newton's and Gauss's Laws Up: No Title Previous: Copernicus versus Ptolemy

Synodic versus Sidereal Periods

  1. Explain, in your own words, the difference between synodic and sidereal periods.
Venus cycles through a complete set of phases every tex2html_wrap_inline303 .
  1. Draw the complete set of phases.
  2. What is the synodic period of Venus? Its sidereal period?
Mars cycles through a complete set of phases every tex2html_wrap_inline305 .
  1. Draw the complete set of phases.
  2. What is the synodic period of Mars? Its sidereal period?
Now imagine you are observing the Earth from Mars, instead of the other way around.
  1. What would be the synodic period of the Earth? Its sidereal period?


Bryan J. Mendez
Fri Aug 27 17:24:54 PDT 1999