Planets move past the background stars as seen by someone on Earth. What is the normal direction of this motion?
A) east to west because of the rotation of Earth
B) east to west because of the motion of the planet along its orbit
C) west to east because of the motion of Earth along its orbit
D) west to east because of the motion of the planet along its orbit

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Planets generally move from west to east against the background stars as observed from Earth, due to their own orbital motion around the Sun. This apparent motion is in the same direction as Earth's orbit, giving the impression that planets move eastward in the sky.

Planets Move Past the Background Stars as Seen by Someone