Suppose you observe Mars at midnight, and it is due South from where you are. Wh

Question

Suppose you observe Mars at midnight, and it is due South from where you are. Which of the following statements is or are false, and what is wrong with the false statement(s)?

(a) Mars is exhibiting retrograde motion around the date of your observation.

(b) Mars would appear as a crescent if viewed through a telescope at this time.

(c) Mars is farther from the earth at the time of your observation than it usually or on average is.

Note: It is not enough to say "the statement is false"; you need to explain what would be needed to make it correct.

Explanation / Answer

At due south at midnight the planet Mars would appear full, just as the Moon, Jupiter, or any other object outside of Earth's orbit would. Since Earth travels fast in its orbit any object outside this orbit (except close object like the Moon) would appear retrograde.

The moon appears to us as a circle with a dark crescent reducing the bright part to less than a full circular disk. That means that the shadow of the Earth is covering a little less than half of its surface. Good answers: The statement cannot be true because a circular shadow cannot produce the bright gibbous appearance.The statement is not true because at this phase the Earth, Moon and Sun are not lined up.

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