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← HistoryWhich aspect of planetary motion did the equant, as used in Ptolemaic astronomy, attempt to resolve?
A)Retrograde motion without varying speed
B)Elliptical orbits using circular motion
C)Varying orbital speed maintaining constant angles✓
D)Parallax shift, assuming a heliocentric orbit
💡 Explanation
The equant was introduced to explain variability in a planet's orbital speed while still adhering to the Greek ideal of uniform circular motion, by positing a point off-center from Earth, around which angular speed appeared to be constant. Therefore maintaining constant angles becomes the resolution, rather than alternatives requiring different orbital shapes or heliocentric viewpoints.
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