Minor examples

Let’s define a small helper function:

def print_me(msg, val):

    print("{}: {}".format(msg, val))

Let’s compute the equatorial coordinates of comet Encke:

a = 2.2091404

e = 0.8502196

q = a * (1.0 - e)

i = Angle(11.94524)

omega = Angle(334.75006)

w = Angle(186.23352)

t = Epoch(1990, 10, 28.54502)

epoch = Epoch(1990, 10, 6.0)

minor = Minor(q, e, i, omega, w, t)

ra, dec, elong = minor.geocentric_position(epoch)

print_me("Right ascension", ra.ra_str(n_dec=1))

# Right ascension: 10h 34' 13.7''

print_me("Declination", dec.dms_str(n_dec=0))

# Declination: 19d 9' 32.0''

print_me("Elongation", round(elong, 2))

# Elongation: 40.51

Now compute the heliocentric ecliptical coordinates:

a = 2.2091404

e = 0.8502196

q = a * (1.0 - e)

i = Angle(11.94524)

omega = Angle(334.75006)

w = Angle(186.23352)

t = Epoch(1990, 10, 28.54502)

epoch = Epoch(1990, 10, 6.0)

minor = Minor(q, e, i, omega, w, t)

lon, lat = minor.heliocentric_ecliptical_position(epoch)

print_me("Heliocentric ecliptical longitude", lon.dms_str(n_dec=1))

# Heliocentric ecliptical longitude: 66d 51' 57.8''

print_me("Heliocentric ecliptical latitude", lat.dms_str(n_dec=1))

# Heliocentric ecliptical latitude: 11d 56' 14.4''