Phase angle (astronomy) less than 90° represent backscattering; values greater than 90° represent forward scattering. For some objects, such as the Moon (see lunar phases), Venus and Mercury the phase angle (as seen from the Earth) covers the full 0–180° range. The superior planets cover shorter ranges. For example, for Mars the maximum phase angle is about 45°. The brightness of an object is a function of the phase angle, which is generally smooth, except for the so-called opposition spike near 0°, which does not affect gas giants or bodies with pronounced atmospheres, and when the object becomes fainter as the angle approaches
Type 97 90 mm Infantry Mortar Type 97 90 mm Infantry Mortar The Type 97 90 mm Infantry Mortar was a simplified version of the Japanese Type 94 90 mm Infantry Mortar. The Type 97 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted in the year 2597 of the Japanese calendar (1937). The Type 90-mm mortar is a Stokes-Brandt type mortar similar in appearance to the US 81-mm mortar, M1 and the Japanese Type 97 81 mm piece. It is believed that the 90 mm weapon has been introduced later than its model number would imply, as a captured specimen was marked "Model 97