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Chapter 5: Problem 1

When Jupiter is undergoing retrograde motion as seen from Earth, would you expect the eclipses of Jupiter's moons to occur several minutes early, several minutes late, or neither? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
During the retrograde motion of Jupiter as seen from Earth, the eclipses of Jupiter's moons would occur several minutes late because of the apparent shift in position and motion of Jupiter from our perspective on Earth.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Retrograde Motion

Retrograde motion is an apparent change in the movement of the planet through the sky. It is not real in the sense that the planet does not physically start moving backwards in its orbit. It just appears to do so because of the relative positions of the planet and Earth and how they move around the Sun.
02

Effect on Observation from Earth

During the retrograde motion, from Earth it appears as if Jupiter is moving in the opposite direction to its usual eastward motion. This perceived shift in motion would also affect our observation and measurement of the events occurring in Jupiter's system such as the eclipse of Jupiter's moons.
03

Impact on Timing of Eclipses of Jupiter's Moons

According to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, all planets in the solar system revolve around the sun in an elliptical path and thus at varying speeds. When Earth is 'catching up' with Jupiter in its orbit, this can cause Jupiter to appear to move backwards in the sky (retrograde motion). Due to this perception, the eclipses of the moons of Jupiter would be seen a few minutes late from Earth.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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