{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.superior-planet","code":"thing-q844911","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q844911/","name":"superior planet","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.SPC"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A planet whose orbit around the Sun lies outside the orbit of Earth, namely Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune; superior planets can appear at opposition, near which closest approach and peak brightness generally occur but need not coincide exactly, and never show crescent phases from Earth, in contrast with the inferior planets Mercury and Venus.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the superior planet concept, compute and describe oppositions and visibility, and separate it from the inner-outer and terrestrial-giant classifications.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Orbit outside Earth","Show oppositions","No crescent phases","Retrograde loops near opposition"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"define","name":"Define","description":"The concept.","layers":[{"id":"which","name":"Which","description":"Which planets.","findings":[{"id":"which-finding","name":"Which","description":"Which planets.","questions":[{"text":"Which planets are superior, and why?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"How does this differ from inner and outer or terrestrial and giant planets?","kind":"definition"}]}]},{"id":"geometry","name":"Geometry","description":"Configurations.","findings":[{"id":"geometry-finding","name":"Geometry","description":"Configurations.","questions":[{"text":"What are opposition, conjunction and quadrature for a superior planet?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Why does retrograde motion occur near opposition?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"observe","name":"Observe","description":"Seeing them.","layers":[{"id":"when","name":"When","description":"Best time.","findings":[{"id":"when-finding","name":"When","description":"Best time.","questions":[{"text":"When is the next opposition of this planet, according to ephemerides?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How bright and large will it appear?","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"how","name":"How","description":"Equipment.","findings":[{"id":"how-finding","name":"How","description":"Equipment.","questions":[{"text":"What can be seen with binoculars or a small telescope?","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Which features are visible on each planet?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"motion","name":"Motion","description":"Calculations.","layers":[{"id":"synodic","name":"Synodic","description":"Synodic period.","findings":[{"id":"synodic-finding","name":"Synodic","description":"Synodic period.","questions":[{"text":"What is the synodic period of this planet, and how is it computed?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Why are Mars oppositions so variable?","kind":"definition"}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"Historical significance.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did retrograde motion of superior planets shape models of the solar system, according to historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which thinkers were key?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Education.","layers":[{"id":"demo","name":"Demo","description":"Demonstrations.","findings":[{"id":"demo-finding","name":"Demo","description":"Demonstrations.","questions":[{"text":"How can opposition and retrograde motion be demonstrated with models or software?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"exoplanets","name":"Exoplanets","description":"Beyond the solar system.","findings":[{"id":"exoplanets-finding","name":"Exoplanets","description":"Other systems.","questions":[{"text":"Does the superior planet concept apply in other planetary systems?","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"How is it generalised?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Report positions, oppositions and visibility of superior planets from published ephemerides.","Explain why superior planets show retrograde motion and no crescent phases."],"mustNot":["Present astrological claims about superior planets as astronomical facts.","Give observing advice that risks eye damage, such as pointing optics near the Sun.","Misstate dates or visibility in ways that send observers to the wrong place or time."],"requiresHuman":["Publishing predictions for public observing events."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Public sky events build interest in science but can be distorted by false claims.","Observers can be harmed by careless advice about solar proximity."],"affectedParties":["Amateur and student observers","Readers of science outreach"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: natural bodies held in common; astronomical unions coordinate naming and data.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Planetary ephemerides from national almanac offices"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q13205267","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"inner and outer planets","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"inferior planet","type":"related","note":"related concept"},{"target":"celestial body","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"telescope","type":"related","note":"instrument"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.superior-planet","Wikidata: Q844911 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q844911)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Orbital semimajor axis:  AU - The semimajor axis is derived from orbital observations and exceeds Earth's orbital semimajor axis for every superior planet.","Sidereal orbital period:  Earth years - The period is determined from orbital observations as the time required to complete an orbit relative to distant stars.","Equatorial diameter:  km - Diameter is determined from imaging or spacecraft measurements using a stated surface or atmospheric reference level.","Planetary mass:  kg - Mass is inferred from gravitational effects on satellites, spacecraft or other bodies."]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Can be seen all night at opposition","Never between Earth and Sun","Inner and outer planets is a different split based on the asteroid belt","Bright star-like points that move against the stars; discs in telescopes."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["identify superior planets","explain opposition, conjunction and retrograde motion","find when a planet is best observed","separate related classifications"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Confusing superior with outer or giant planets","Outdated opposition dates"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["IAU definitions"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Observational astronomy and planetary geometry.","Mars","Jupiter and Saturn","Uranus and Neptune","dwarf planets beyond Earth (related)"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q844911: superior planet","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q844911","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Superior planet","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_planet","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should each planet be a separate entry?","How should ephemeris data be linked?","How should terminology be clarified?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q844911/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q844911/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T15:59:26Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:34+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}