Astronomical Theory Section - Planetary Phenomena


Periodicities in the observed position of the planets   (1)

  • The outer planets
  • The inner planets
If you observe the heavens sufficiently long you will soon realise that although each planet will not be visible every night, there are certain regularities in their positions in the night sky. This article explores some of these regularities, mainly for Mercury and Venus as their movements mean they will return to the same position in the sky quite often. This leads on to the discovery of very exact periods which determine the frequency of solar transits!

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