Title

The Optical Illusion of Mercury in Retrograde

Creator

Dajlani, Erina

Abstract

My creative project for the course HNS2250A1 Debunking Pseudoscience is an educational tool that assists me to debunk the pseudoscientific claim or concept of Mercury in retrograde. Mercury in retrograde, as seen from the Earth, is the apparent backward movement of Mercury in its orbit around the sun. However, this is an optical illusion because there is no planet in our solar system that goes in an opposite direction from the other planets (counterclockwise direction). Moreover, through my educational tool, made from clay, I can explain Kepler’s first law which explains that all planets including Earth are orbiting the Sun in an elliptical route. Furthermore, through Kepler’s work, I can show with my educational tool that the Sun is not at the center of the ellipse.

Keywords

Mercury

Retrograde

Illusion

Subject

interdisciplinary

Date Available

May 23, 2025

Type

Educational Tool

Course

HNS 2250 Debunking Pseudoscience

Course Offering Term

Fall Semester 2024

Instructor

Valahas, Michael

Session

Honors Creative Projects

Location

Student Lounge

Event

Year 2025 | 9th Annual Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium