Deriving the Synodic Period Formula
Recall that the synodic period is the period of the phases – that is, the time it takes a planet to return to the same position relative to the sun. The sidereal period is the time a planet takes to complete one orbit with respect to the stars or any fixed frame of reference.
If E is the sidereal period of the earth in days, then the earth moves at a rate of 360°/E degrees per day in its orbit. Likewise if P is the sidereal period of a planet, then the planet moves at a rate of 360°/P degrees per day. Let S be the synodic period of the superior planet.
Copernicus correctly assumed that the more distant planets move more slowly in their orbits. So if we begin with the superior planet in opposition, the earth will have to complete one orbit and then go through an additional angle θ to catch up to the planet. Since the amount of time the earth takes to go though θ is S-E, we have θ=(S-E)×(360°/E). See Figure 3 at right. Since the superior planet also goes through θ in time S we can express θ as S×(360°/P). Equating these two expressions for θ we have
formula derive
which we can simplify to get Copernicus's result:
formula superior
For an inferior planet we can just interchange P and E since earth would have the outer orbit. This gives Copernicus's formula for inferior planets:
formula inferior