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Go to the following web page: http://www.skyviewcafe.com/. Open the Java applet to run the planetarium. Set your location to Scarborough, Maine and save it. In the upper-left corner click the button marked Now.

Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper using complete sentences and neat drawings, where applicable. Add the answers to these questions to the answers you gave for the first page of questions, titled Learn to Use Sky View Café.

1. Find the menu just to the right of the place where you set the time and date. Underneath these menus it says “previous/next event”. On the left menu scroll down until you reach the word Opposition. On the right menu it will probably automatically choose Mars. Click the blue arrow to the left to go to the most recent time that the planet Mars was at Opposition. (You will soon learn what this means). What is the time and date of the most recent Opposition of Mars?
2. Click on the tab near the top of the display window where it says Orbits. This will show you the solar system at the time and date selected by using the event menu. Play with the options in the lower-right corner of the screen to see what you can do on this tab. Leave the time and date at the recent Opposition of Mars. When you are done playing set the options back to Out to Mars only, Center on Sun, and Distance in AU. Draw a picture of the relative location of each of the planets in their orbits around the Sun. What do you notice about the locations of Mars and the Earth?
3. Hit the Now button again to reset the time and date. Use the events menu to choose the next Opposition of Jupiter. What is the time and date of this Opposition?
4. Again, draw the relative locations of the planets in their orbits at the Opposition of Jupiter. What do you notice about the locations of Jupiter and the Earth?
5. Go to the next Opposition for each of the remaining planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). Report the date and time of each Opposition for each planet starting from today’s date. Draw pictures showing the locations of the planets for each Opposition.
6. Using your best writing explain what is meant by the word Opposition in planetary astronomy. You will need to write several (3 - 4) sentences to do this completely.
7. Use similar techniques to report all of the Superior Conjunctions (Sup. Conj. in the events menu) for all of the available planets. What are the times and dates for each one (make a table)? Draw the planets for each one.
8. Using your best writing explain what is meant by the Superior Conjunction in planetary astronomy. You will need to write several (3 - 4) sentences to do this completely.
9. Use similar techniques to report all of the Inferior Conjunctions (Inf. Conj. in the events menu) for all of the available planets. What are the times and dates for each one (make a table)? Draw the planets for each one.
10. Using your best writing explain what is meant by the Inferior Conjunction in planetary astronomy. You will need to write several (3 - 4) sentences to do this completely.
11. The planets available for calculating an Inferior Conjunction are limited? Why?
12. What time of day do planets in Opposition rise in the E? And planets in Superior Conjunction? And planets in Inferior Conjunction?