Space Forum / Shuttle / September 2005

http://www.opencourse.info/astronomy/introduction/05.motion_planets/jupiter_satu
rn_retro.gif

The faster  Earth,taking and inner orbital circuit explains by direct
perception the apparent retrograde motions of the other planets.

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~mcgrew/chain.htm

No unecessary or inappropriate  jumping to the Sun using an imaginary
observer is required as Newton had it -

"For to the earth they  (motion of the planets) appear sometimes
direct, sometimes stationary, nay, and sometimes retrograde. But from
the sun they are always seen direct...)

http://members.tripod.com/~gravitee/phaenomena.htm

Why anybody would wish to destroy the wonderful Copernican insight is
just one of those awful things which sometimes happens but
ultimately,with a little effort and the time lapse footage,people can
again enjoy the Copernican insight.

I do not fault anyone for not knowing the difference between the
original heliocentric explanation through retrogrades and Newton's but
again,it is not at all difficult once a small bit of concentration is
applied to the time lapse footage,something the original astronomer had
no access to and which makes explaining heliocentricity so easy.