palDmoon
palDmoon
- Approximate geocentric position and velocity of the Moon
- Description:
- Calculate the approximate geocentric position of the Moon
using a full implementation of the algorithm published by
Meeus (l'Astronomie, June 1984, p348).
- Invocation:
- void palDmoon( double date, double pv[6] );
- Arguments:
-
-
date = double (Given)
-
TDB as a Modified Julian Date (JD-2400000.5)
-
pv = double [6] (Returned)
-
Moon x,y,z,xdot,ydot,zdot, mean equator and
equinox of date (AU, AU/s)
- Notes:
- Meeus quotes accuracies of 10 arcsec in longitude, 3 arcsec in
latitude and 0.2 arcsec in HP (equivalent to about 20 km in
distance). Comparison with JPL DE200 over the interval
1960-2025 gives RMS errors of 3.7 arcsec and 83 mas/hour in
longitude, 2.3 arcsec and 48 mas/hour in latitude, 11 km
and 81 mm/s in distance. The maximum errors over the same
interval are 18 arcsec and 0.50 arcsec/hour in longitude,
11 arcsec and 0.24 arcsec/hour in latitude, 40 km and 0.29 m/s
in distance.
- The original algorithm is expressed in terms of the obsolete
timescale Ephemeris Time. Either TDB or TT can be used, but
not UT without incurring significant errors (30 arcsec at
the present time) due to the Moon's 0.5 arcsec/sec movement.
- The algorithm is based on pre IAU 1976 standards. However,
the result has been moved onto the new (FK5) equinox, an
adjustment which is in any case much smaller than the
intrinsic accuracy of the procedure.
- Velocity is obtained by a complete analytical differentiation
of the Meeus model.