When does retrograde motion of Venus occur in the heliocentric model of the solar system?
A)When Venus passes the Earth
B)When the Earth and Venus are on opposite sides of the Sun
C)When the Earth is nearest the Sun
D)When the Sun and Venus are opposite each other in the sky

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Retrograde motion of Venus occurs in the heliocentric model when Venus passes the Earth. This apparent backward motion happens because Venus orbits the Sun faster than the Earth, so when it overtakes Earth, it appears to move backward against the background stars from our perspective.

When Does Retrograde Motion of Venus Occur in the Heliocentric