Undergrad JPL Ephemeris Files: Calculating Heliocentric Pos. of Mars

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the heliocentric position of Mars using JPL ephemeris data. To achieve this, one must first determine the x, y, and z coordinates of Mars and then subtract the Sun's coordinates, which are close to zero, from these values. The JPL ephemeris data is referenced to the solar system barycenter, confirming the need for this subtraction to obtain accurate heliocentric coordinates.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of JPL ephemeris data
  • Knowledge of celestial coordinate systems
  • Familiarity with barycentric coordinates
  • Basic skills in coordinate transformation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the JPL Horizons system for accessing ephemeris data
  • Learn about celestial mechanics and barycentric dynamics
  • Study coordinate transformations in astronomy
  • Explore software tools for astronomical calculations, such as Python's Astropy library
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Astronomers, astrophysicists, and anyone involved in celestial navigation or planetary position calculations will benefit from this discussion.

cptolemy
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Greetings,

This is actually a simple question. I'm working on the JPL ephemeris original data. My question is: If I wish to calculate the heliocentric position of, let's say, Mars from the original JPL raw data, must I calculate first the x,y and z position (an easy process) and then subtract the 11th value - the Sun - to these coordinates?
The JPL frame is referred to the SS barycenter, right? So I must subtract these values I presume.

Kind regards,

CPtolemy
 
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cptolemy said:
I'm working on the JPL ephemeris original data
Exactly which original data would that be? Do you have a link? Horizons?
If the coordinate system is referenced to the barycentre, then the Sun will have coordinates that are small, close to, but not equal to zero.
So if that is the case, yes, subtract the Sun's coordinates from the object's coordinates to get the object's heliocentric position.
 
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