Question

Why do the planets "drift" east relative to the stars and then move west for periods of time?
A) They are moving in separate orbits around the sun as it goes around the earth, producing the periodic backtracking.
B) They are moving in large elliptical orbits, so when observed from Earth, their motion changes depending on whether they are near or far from the sun at a given time.
C) They are moving in the same rotation sense as the earth around the sun, but as the earth moves faster (or slower, depending on the planet) the motion appears to be backwards.
D) They don't move, they stay fixed relative to the stars.

Answer

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