Planets in our sky make a loop pattern. For the most part this pattern is like how we have our own daily trail. The morning and evening commute, over time, our trail is pretty fixed in the same path. But every now and then we make a little side detour. Like going to a store or look at something interesting. This detour is like a little loop off the normal path–much like the planet making a loop off its path. But then we eventually regain our original path.
this diagram is from Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea. It
i think it’s interesting that constellations and this concept were so instrumental in early astronomy. people were very single-minded in this view of the universe. the constellations, and the patterns formed from planets’ orbits, are only relevant because they are seen from our tiny insignificant planet. there are an infinite number of other vantage points. but no one really thought of this until later. if you broaden your imagination, you realize that the patterns created by stars/planets in our sky are insignificant, compared to their actual reality and existence within the universe as a whole. constellations and planet trails have become such a strong part of our scientific history, it’s interesting when you consider that they’re not really real, as we see them. it’s all proprietary, you see…
uh … Neato