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Old August 12th 17, 10:06 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
Gerald Kelleher
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Default The sadness of this eclipse

http://en.es-static.us/upl/2016/11/r...7595696172.jpg

"We find, then, in this arrangement the marvelous symmetry of the universe, and a sure linking together in harmony of the motion and size of the spheres, such as could be perceived in no other way. For here one may understand, by attentive observation, why Jupiter appears to have a larger progression and retrogression than Saturn, and smaller than Mars, and again why Venus has larger ones than Mercury; why such a doubling back appears more frequently in Saturn than in Jupiter, and still more rarely in Mars and Venus than in Mercury; and furthermore why Saturn, Jupiter and Mars are nearer to the Earth when in opposition than in the region of their occultations by the Sun and re-appearance . . . . All these phenomena proceed from the same cause, which lies in the motion of the Earth." Copernicus

It is 500 years ago when Copernicus wrote that however the eclipse exposes an alternative approach to Venus and Mercury which does not account for their motions from a moving Earth perspective or rather the inputs of the Earth are minor for the inner planets whereas relative speeds between the Earth and the outer planets are paramount.

By inserting a simple set of phases of Venus it becomes easy to discern the partitioning between the inner and outer planets seen from a moving Earth -

http://www.popastro.com/images/plane...ary%202012.jpg

Perhaps the eclipse is more personal rather than the sadness of seeing it wasted by celestial sphere concerns.