Natural Satellites Service. Special ephemerides
  Apparent Encounters
of the Tycho-2 Catalogue stars and the main natural planetary satellites
 
by S.Vashkovyak

Topics
  • We present the precalculated circumstances of the apparent encounters of the
    Galilean satellites of Jupiter and
    the main satellites of Saturn (S1-S8)
    with the Tycho-2 Catalogue stars.
  • In the beginning of the ephemerides the star conditional catalogue is given. Instead of three numbers (ntch1 ntch2 ntch3) describing a position of a star in the Tycho-2 catalogue, one conditional number is given. The conformity is presented in a tabular form in the beginning of each ephemeride.
  • Apparent angular distances between a star and a satellite given in the ephemerides tables do not exceed 6 arcminutes for the main satellites of Saturn (S1-S8) and 15 arcminutes for the Galilean satellites.
  • The highest accuracy of observations is reached at the periods when a satellite and a star of the same magnitude approach each other and fall within the same CCD frame.
  • These circumstances allow to associate, with the best possible accuracy, the dynamical reference frame with that of the star catalogue using an appropriate theory of satellite motion.
  • The ephemerides of the apparent encounters of the satellites with the stars allow to choose more appropriate circumstances of observations using a given CCD frame with a given telescope.
  • Further suggestions.

See:
Explanation to the conditional catalogue.
Explications to the Galilean satellites of Jupiter ephemerides tables.
Explications to the main satellites of Saturn (S1-S8) ephemerides tables.
Ephemerides
Apparent Encounters of the Tycho-2 Catalogue stars and the Galilean satellites of Jupiter
Apparent Encounters of the Tycho-2 Catalogue stars and the major satellites of Saturn

Acknowledgements:
This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 03-02-17441.


Celestial mechanics department / Sternberg Astronomical Institute / Moscow University