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Retrograde Motion 3D Explorer Step by Step
The Retrograde Motion 3D Explorer starts as soon as the page loads: drag to orbit the Sun, Earth, and Mars, scroll to zoom, and press Play. Everything renders on your own device - no install, no account.
Step 1 - find the overtakes
Earth is the blue inner world; Mars is the red outer. The yellow line is the Earth-to-Mars line of sight.
Step 2 - near opposition
Click Near opposition and leave Sky trail on so the purple path shows the loop stretch while the badge flips to Retrograde now.
Step 3 - scrub the synodic cycle
Drag Day across hundreds of days to see direct motion return, then fullscreen to keep controls visible while you orbit the view.
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