The Motus Planetarum Superiorum [Motion of the Superior Planets] is a chart created by Johann Doppelmayr in his efforts to express the planetary motion of the major or superior planets based upon the theories of Tycho Brahe. The spirals shown in the main portion of the chart are meant to explain the apparent retrograde, or backward, motion that could be observed through watching the night sky, and the various dates are meant to show the time it took the various planets to complete their orbit around the Sun. The figure in the upper left corner is meant to show how the spirals were constructed, while the upper right corner shows how these spirals would move in relation to the Sun at the center of the solar system. Meanwhile, the rectangular chart on the left side is meant to show the location of Saturn and Jupiter relative to the ecliptic in the years 1712-1713, showing the apparent retrograde motion during this time. The rectangular chart on the right side does the same for Mars, also during 1712-1713.