Conjunctions of Mars Access and view the animation “The Orbits of Earth and Mars” in Chapter 7 of the Discovering the Universe Web site. (a) The animation highlights three dates when Mars is in opposition, so that Earth lies directly between Mars and the Sun. By using the Stop and Play buttons in the animation, find two times during the animation when Mars is in conjunction, so that the Sun lies directly between Mars and Earth (see Figure 2-4). For each conjunction, make a drawing showing the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Mars, and record the month and year when the conjunction occurs. (b) When Mars is in conjunction, at approximately what time of day does it rise as seen from Earth? At what time of day does it set? Is Mars suitably placed for telescopic observations when it is in conjunction?
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