The Mars Polar Lander spacecraft was launched on January 3, 1999.On December 3, 1999, the day that Mars Polar Lander touched down onthe Martian surface, the positions of the earth and Mars were givenby these coordinates:
x y z
Earth 0.3182 AU 0.9329 AU 0.0000 AU
Mars 1.3087 AU -0.4423 AU -0.0414 AU
In these coordinates, the sun is at the origin and the plane of theearth's orbit is the xy-plane. The earth passes through the +x-axisonce a year on the autumnal equinox, the first day of autumn in thenorthern hemisphere. One AU is equal to 1.496 * 10^8 km, theaverage distance from the earth to the sun.
a) In a diagram, show the positions of the sun, the earth, and Marson December 3, 1999.
b) Find the following distances in AU on December 3,1999 :
i) from the sun to the Earth
ii) from the sun to Mars
iii) from the earth to Mars
c) As seen from the earth, what was the angle between the directionto the sun and the direction to Mars on December 3, 1999?
The Mars Polar Lander spacecraft was launched on January 3, 1999.On December 3, 1999, the day that Mars Polar Lander touched down onthe Martian surface, the positions of the earth and Mars were givenby these coordinates:
x y z
Earth 0.3182 AU 0.9329 AU 0.0000 AU
Mars 1.3087 AU -0.4423 AU -0.0414 AU
In these coordinates, the sun is at the origin and the plane of theearth's orbit is the xy-plane. The earth passes through the +x-axisonce a year on the autumnal equinox, the first day of autumn in thenorthern hemisphere. One AU is equal to 1.496 * 10^8 km, theaverage distance from the earth to the sun.
a) In a diagram, show the positions of the sun, the earth, and Marson December 3, 1999.
b) Find the following distances in AU on December 3,1999 :
i) from the sun to the Earth
ii) from the sun to Mars
iii) from the earth to Mars
c) As seen from the earth, what was the angle between the directionto the sun and the direction to Mars on December 3, 1999?
