•Problem: How
do you find the position of a planet (say Mars) when you know its direction but not its
distance.
•
•Standard
surveying solution: Observe it from two different locations and use “triangulation” or
parallax.
•
•Special
Problem: The motion of the Earth lets you make observations from two different positions, but Mars moves too during this time.
•
•Kepler’s
special insight: Find an artificial way to make Mars “stand still”
•