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Chart of lunar maria with lines of longitude and latitude. The prime meridian is the centre of the near side of the Moon.. A planetary coordinate system (also referred to as planetographic, planetodetic, or planetocentric) [1] [2] is a generalization of the geographic, geodetic, and the geocentric coordinate systems for planets other than Earth.
The magnetic field of the Earth, and of other planets that have magnetic fields, is generated by dynamo action in which convection of molten iron in the planetary core generates electric currents which in turn give rise to magnetic fields. [12] In simulations of planetary dynamos, reversals often emerge spontaneously from the underlying dynamics.
Inverse trigonometric functions arcsine, arccosine and arctangent are quadrant-ambiguous, and results should be carefully evaluated. Use of the second arctangent function (denoted in computing as atn2( y , x ) or atan2( y , x ) , which calculates the arctangent of y / x using the sign of both arguments to determine the right quadrant ...
The blue planet feels only an inverse-square force and moves on an ellipse (k = 1). The green planet moves angularly three times as fast as the blue planet (k = 3); it completes three orbits for every orbit of the blue planet. The red planet illustrates purely radial motion with no angular motion (k = 0).
Seen from a superior planet, an inferior planet on the opposite side of the Sun is in superior conjunction with the Sun. An inferior conjunction occurs when the two planets align on the same side of the Sun. At inferior conjunction, the superior planet is "in opposition" to the Sun as seen from the inferior planet (see the diagram).
A gravity map is a map that depicts gravity measurements across an area of space, which are typically obtained via gravimetry. Gravity maps are an extension of the field of geodynamics . Readings are typically taken at regular intervals for surface analysis on Earth . [ 1 ]
Each night the planet appeared to lag a little behind the stars, in what is called prograde motion. Near opposition, the planet would appear to reverse and move through the night sky faster than the stars for a time in retrograde motion before reversing again and resuming prograde. Epicyclic theory, in part, sought to explain this behavior.
The poles of astronomical bodies are determined based on their axis of rotation in relation to the celestial poles of the celestial sphere. Astronomical bodies include stars, planets, dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies such as comets and minor planets (e.g., asteroids), as well as natural satellites and minor-planet moons.