🔍 Key Concepts
• Opposition, conjunction, and quadrature as they relate to the Sun, Earth, and a superior planet like Mars
• How the Sun–Earth–Mars alignment affects whether Mars is in the night sky or lost in the Sun’s glare
• The meaning of elongation angle (angular distance from the Sun) and what values make a planet easy or hard to see
💭 Think About
• Sketch the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Mars for opposition, conjunction, quadrature, and large elongation angles. In which case is Mars closest to the Sun in the sky as seen from Earth?
• Think about when Mars would be above the horizon at local midnight versus when it would be very close to the Sun at local noon. In which alignment would Mars be hidden in daylight?
• Relate each term (opposition, conjunction, quadrature, 180° elongation) to whether Mars would appear opposite the Sun, beside it, or behind it from our point of view.
✅ Before You Answer
• For each choice, identify whether Mars is on the same side of the Sun as Earth or on the opposite side of the Sun
• Confirm which configuration places Mars in line with the Sun from Earth’s perspective, so its light is drowned out by the Sun’s glare
• Verify which term corresponds to maximum angular separation (~180°) from the Sun on the sky, and which corresponds to minimum separation (~0°)