Accession Number:

AD1099305

Title:

Desirability of Upgrading the Ephemerides of the Uranian Satellites Used in the Publication of The Astronomical Almanac

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

US Naval Observatory Washington United States

Personal Author(s):

• Hilton,James L.

Report Date:

2015-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

4.0

Abstract:

The ephemerides of the Uranian satellites currently used in the production of The Astronomical Almanac are the GUST 86 ephemerides Laskar and Jacobson, 1987, Astron.Astrophys., 188, 212. These ephemerides are nearly thirty years old. During the intervening years other ephemerides of the Uranian satellites have been published. Three of these ephemerides were examined as possible replacements to the GUST 86 ephemerides. There were slight differences between the values produced over an approximately ten year period, but those differences were still significantly smaller than the RMS uncertainty in the observations of the satellites. So, there is no compelling reason to replace the current ephemerides. It may still be reasonable to replace the GUST 86 ephemerides with the Jacobson 2014, Astron. J.,148, 76 ephemerides for the Uranian satellites to ensure a self-consistent system.

Descriptors:

• ephemerides
• uranus (planet)
• planetary satellites
• errors
• uncertainty
• position (location)

Subject Categories:

• Celestial Mechanics
• Astronomy

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE