ARSC/GEOL 2110
Physical Science of the Earth System
The Dance of the Planets
Fall 2001

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Week 4: The Dance of the Planets Lab report on Dance of the Planets, due Thursday Sept. 27.

Here are some facts about Mars that are comparable to some facts you already know about the Earth:

distance from Sun: 1.5 AU
rotational period: 24.6 hours
orbital period: 1.88 Earth years
tilt of axis: 25 degrees
moons: Phobos, orbital period 7 hours, rotational period unknown & Deimos, orbital period 30 hours, rotational period 30 hours

Use these facts and what you know about Earth to answer the questions below. Draw on your solar system walk, your kinesthetic astronomy experiences, your work with the planisphere, and your reading in Ch. 2 and Ch. 3 (especially the first few pages of this chapter). Write clearly and check that you are using the right vocabulary (especially for circular motions of all types ...). It is possible to answer several of these questions quite briefly, if you are clear.

  1. How long is a Martian day? Explain your reasoning.
  2. How long is a Martian year? How old are you in Martian years? Explain your reasoning.
  3. Will Mars have seasons? Why or why not? If so, how long are they, and how do they compare to Earth's seasons? Explain your reasoning.
  4. How long is is a Martian month? Explain your reasoning.
  5. Mars has a more elliptical orbit than that of Earth. Explain if and how this fact would likely affect each of the following:
    a) day
    b) year
    c) seasons
    d) month
  6. Do Earthlings get to see every face of Mars? If not, why not? If yes, about how long does it take to see all faces of Mars? Explain your reasoning.
  7. Do Martians get to see every face of Deimos? If not, why not? If yes, about how long does it take to see all faces of Deimos? Explain your reasoning.
  8. (challenging, but you can do it) Draw and label a diagram that includes the following objects:
    Sun, Earth, Mars, Phobos, Deimos.
    Indicate the direction of Polaris on your diagram.
    Mark arrows on Earth and Mars to show where the observers are standing and the direction they are facing. Your diagram does not need to be to scale but relative positions should be accurate. The diagram should represent as accurately as possible the following situation: It is 8 p.m. on September 20, 2001. For an observer in Boulder, Mars is unusually bright, and found low in Sagittarius. This observer noticed that Mars was "full" in July and now it is waning. It is fall in Mars' northern hemisphere. For an observer at 40 degrees north on Mars and in a location where it is midnight (Mars time), Phobos has just risen and Deimos is full.