dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (06/05/85)
The planet Uranus is now orbiting the sun in the same plane as the Earth. More -- after this. June 5 Uranus at Opposition On Thursday, the Earth and the planet Uranus are neck-and-neck in the race around the sun. Uranus is at opposition -- opposite the sun as seen from Earth. Looking down on the solar system from above tomorrow you would see the sun, the Earth and Uranus in a straight line, with Earth in the middle. What's more, looking edgewise into the plane of the solar system, the sun, the Earth and Uranus would still be in a straight line. That's not always the case at opposition. The planets in our solar system all have orbits that are slightly inclined to that of Earth. So, at opposition -- when the Earth, sun, and another world are seen in a line from above -- they're probably slightly out-of-line when seen edge-on. But, any way you look at it, Earth, Uranus and the sun line up on Thursday -- but only fleetingly -- as our faster-moving Earth pulls ahead of Uranus in orbit. Tomorrow any hypothetical beings looking sunward from Uranus would see Earth cross the face of the sun -- as they will at every uranian opposition up to 1988 -- when Uranus, following its own orbit around the sun, drifts out of the plane of Earth's orbit. Uranus is now relatively close to Earth, and so appears brighter than usual in our sky. Normally the planet isn't visible to the naked eye -- but it might be seen around now. It's barely within the limits for naked eye visibility -- but only in the darkest of skies, under the best observing conditions -- against the background of stars in the constellation Ophiuchus. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin
kallis@pen.DEC (06/11/85)
>The planet Uranus is now orbiting the sun in the same plane as the >Earth. More -- after this. Now **THAT'S** news!! Although it was the smallest, the plane of Uranus' orbit was 46' 17" inclined frto the ecliptic. What a midcourse correction! When did it happen? Who saw the great event? I hope there are videos. Regards, Steve Kallis, Jr.
mjs@eagle.UUCP (M.J.Shannon) (06/13/85)
> >The planet Uranus is now orbiting the sun in the same plane as the > >Earth. More -- after this. > > Now **THAT'S** news!! Although it was the smallest, the plane of > Uranus' orbit was 46' 17" inclined frto the ecliptic. What a midcourse > correction! > > Steve Kallis, Jr. I believe the intent of the statement was that Uranus was crossing the Earth's orbital plane, which must obviously happen twice per Uranian year. Um, how about using a grain of common sense before sending your sarcasm across the net, eh? -- Marty Shannon UUCP: ihnp4!eagle!mjs Phone: +1 201 522 6063