Use the Starry Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\mathrm{TM}}\) program to observe the changing appearance of Mercury. Display the entire celestial sphere (select Guides > Atlas in the Favourites menu) and center on Mercury (double-click the entry for Mercury in the Find pane); then use the zoom controls at the right-hand end of the toolbar (at the top of the main window) to adjust your view so that you can clearly see details on the planet's surface. (Click on the + button to zoom in and on the - button to zoom out.) (a) Click on the Time Flow Rate control (immediately to the right of the date and time display) and set the discrete time step to 1 day. Using the Step Forward button, observe and record the changes in Mercury's phase and apparent size from one day to the next. Run time forward for some time to see these changes more graphically. (b) Explain why the phase and apparent size change in the way that you observe.

Step by step solution

01

Locate Mercury

Open the Starry Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\mathrm{TM}}\) program. Access the Guides > Atlas in the Favourites menu and center on Mercury. This can be done by double-clicking Mercury's entry in the Find pane.

02

Adjust View

Use the zoom controls located at the right-hand end of the toolbar at the top of the main window. If Mercury isn't clearly visible, click on the + button to zoom in, and if it's too large, use the - button to zoom out. The goal is to discern details on Mercury's surface.

03

Set the Time Flow Rate

Click on the Time Flow Rate control which is immediately to the right of the date and time display. Set the discrete time step to 1 day.

04

Observe Mercury

Click on the Step Forward button and observe the changes in Mercury's phase and apparent size from one day to the next. Use the Step Forward button to run time forward and make these changes more visible. Record these observations.

05

Analyze Observations

Analyzing the changes observed will reveal that the phase and apparent size change due to Mercury's close proximity to the Sun and its rapid revolution around it. When Mercury is on the side of its orbit closer to Earth, it appears larger and less illuminated due to the angle of the sunlight. When it's on the part of its orbit farther away from Earth, it seems smaller but more fully illuminated.

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