A vector is a mathematical construct that has magnitude and direction. The cross product of two vectors is a binary operation in three-dimensional space that results in a third vector that is ...
In the present situation, both Earth and Mars are moving in the same direction around the Sun, but the slower one, Mars, appears to move backwards compared to the faster one, Earth. Just an illusion. The retrograde motion of Mars â like the apparent motion of the slower car on the highway â is nothing more than an illusion.
This apparent erratic movement is called retrograde motion.. The illusion also happens with Jupiter and the other planets that orbit farther from the sun. Just to make things a little more odd, the orbits that Earth and Mars follow don't quite lie in the same plane.It's as if the two planets were on separate tracks that are a little tilted with respect to each other.ust to make things a little more odd, the orbits that Earth and Mars follow don't quite lie in the same plane. It's as if the two planets were on separate tracks that are a little tilted with respect to each other.