Method of Calculating Cometary Orbits
Yu. S. Bondarenko, Yu. D. Medvedev
Institute of Applied Astronomy of RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia
Abstract:
A method of constructing a numerical theory of comet motion covering large
intervals of time is presented. It involves the determination of individual
values of the constants Α1, Α2, Α3
(radial, transverse, and normal components of
non-gravitational acceleration) and the displacement of the photo center
in each apparition. In difficult cases, such as close approaches to the
major planets, sudden increase of brightness, or considerable asymmetric
outgassing about perihelion, when Marsden's model of non-gravitational
acceleration does not allow one to present observations with sufficient
accuracy, the instantaneous variation of velocity in the cometary motion
is as-sumed. Based on this methodology, a unified numerical theory of
the motion of comet Kopff during the time interval 1906-2002 was developed.
It links 16 cometary apparitions with an RMS residual σ = 1.40".
Key words:
Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Near Earth Objects (NEOs), calculating cometary orbits, numerical theory of comet motion covering large intervals of time, radial component of non-gravitational acceleration, transverse component of non-gravitational acceleration, normal component of non-gravitational acceleration, displacement of the photo center, close approaches to the major planets, sudden increase of brightness, asymmetric outgassing about perihelion, Marsden's model of non-gravitational acceleration, instantaneous variation of velocity in the cometary motion, a unified numerical theory of the motion of comet Kopff, cometary apparitions.