Rudolphine Commentary

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 7

The Rudolphine Tables

Epoch: Incarnatio Christi, 1 January 1 at noon, Julian Day 1721424

Fundamental parameters
Primæ Arietes
λ0 = 0, 4; 57, 0 Daily motion λ˙ = 1.416666/36525˚

Sun
Mean Longitude:
λ0 = 9, 8; 49, 57 Daily motion λ˙ = 0.985646972393338˚
Apogee:
ω0 = 2, 8; 20, 4 Daily motion ω˙ = 0.00004686858˚ ω˙ =
Eccentricity e = 0.018 Main axis: a = 1.00

Moon
Mean Longitude:
λ0 = 4, 15; 11, 9 Daily motion λ˙ = 13.1763946382234˚
Apogee:
ω0 = 9, 11; 54, 27 Daily motion ω˙ = 0.11140965928968˚
Eccentricity e = 0.04362 Main axis: a = 1.00 Inclination: 5;0
Node Ω0 = 8, 28; 48, 11 Daily motion Ω˙ = -0.052955104418587˚

Saturn
Mean Longitude:
λ0 = 2, 12; 36, 23 Daily motion λ˙ = 0.033497326792912˚
Apogee:
ω0 = 7, 22; 19, 36 Daily motion ω˙ = 0.000057551911˚
Eccentricity e = 0.057 Main axis: a = 9.51 Inclination: i = 2; 32
Node Ω0 = 2, 19; 14, 33 Daily motion Ω˙ = 0.000054341394783˚

Jupiter
Mean Longitude:
λ0 = 5, 29; 49, 33 Daily motion λ˙ = 0.083129563617005˚
Apogee:
ω0= 5, 15; 53, 50 Daily motion ω˙ = 0.000035882576622˚
Eccentricity e = 0.04822 Main axis: a = 5.20 Inclination:i = 1; 19, 20
Node Ω0 = 3, 3; 52, 43 Daily motion Ω˙ = 0.000002659517834˚
Mars
Mean Longitude:
λ0 = 1, 10; 32, 10 Daily motion λ˙ = 0.524070346186022˚
Apogee:
ω0= 3, 29; 14, 40 Daily motion ω˙ = 0.000050913529546˚
Eccentricity e = 0.09265 Main axis: a = 1.5235 Inclination: i = 1; 50, 30
Node Ω0 = 0, 29; 4, 40 ˙
Daily motion Ω = 0.000030226633204˚

Venus
Mean Longitude:
λ0 = 1, 12; 6, 11 Daily motion λ˙ = 1.60217365411818˚
Apogee:
ω0 = 8, 26; 33, 10 Daily motion ω˙ = 0.000059354323523˚
Eccentricity e = 0.0069 Main axis: a = 0.72414 Inclination: i = 3; 22
Node Ω0 = 1, 22; 7, 25 Daily motion Ω˙ = 0.000035744163054˚

Mercury
Mean Longitude:
λ0 = 10, 16; 30, 51 Daily motion λ˙ = 4.09238581287864˚
Apogee:
ω0 = 6, 26; 14, 39 Daily motion ω˙ = 0.000079715643775˚
Eccentricity e = 0.21 Main axis: a = 0.38806 Inclination: i = 6; 54
Node Ω0 = 0, 4; 32, 11 Daily motion Ω˙ = 0.000064829264583˚
Mean Quantities

Longitude λ = λ0 + λ˙ ⋅ t
Apogee ω = ω0 + ω˙ ⋅ t
Node Ω = Ω0 + Ω˙ ⋅ t
Anomaly M = λ −ω

Eccentric anomaly, E, from Kepler’s equation M = E − e sin E


This equation can be solved by an iteration scheme that converges rapidly
E k +1 = M + esin E k , with E0 = M.
v 1− e E
True anomaly, v, from tan = tan
2 1+ e 2
Orbital heliocentric longitude λ = v + ω
Heliocentric distance: D = a(1 + e cosE)

Planets
Latitude argument b = λ − Ω
tan b(1 − cosi )
Longitude correction tan ελ =
1 + tan 2 bcosi
Ecliptic heliocentric longitude Λ = λ − ελ
Heliocentric latitude sin β = sin i sin b
Curtate distance d = Dcos β
Commutation c = λ sun − Λ
Outer planet ρ = D/Dsun Inner planet ρ = Dsun /D
⎛ κ⎞
tan ψ = ρ
⎝ 2⎠
c
2
( )
tan⎜ η − ⎟ = tan tan ψ − 45 o
κ c κ c
Parallax Π = η − − Elongation Η = η − +
2 2 2 2
True geocentric longitude ΛG = Λ + Π
tan β sin H
True geocentric latitude tan βG =
sin c
For the inner planets parallax and elongation are switched.
The Moon

Variant with Tabula Æquationis Luminis


Anomalia Coæquata (True anomaly) = v
Locus fictus λ1 = λ + v
Elongation η = λ1 − λ sun
Sun – Moon’s apogee δ = λ sun − ω

If η > 180˚, let s = –1 otherwise s = +1

If δ > 180˚, let δ → 360˚−δ , if η > 180˚ let η → 360˚−η

Enter Tabula Æquationis Luminis with δ and η, do the necessary


interpolations and multiply the value by the sign s. Denote the result by τ .
Orbital longitude λ = λ1 + τ

Define Sun – Moon’s node σ = λ sun − Ω


True elongation ε = λ − λ sun
Latitude correction ε β = 18′ sin ε cosσ

Latitude simplex sin β1 = sinisin(λ − Ω ) True latitude β = β1 + ε β

tan(λ − Ω )(1 − cosi)


Longitude correction tan ελ =
1 + tan2 (λ − Ω ) cosi
Ecliptic heliocentric longitude Λ = λ − ελ

Tabula Æquationis Luminis represents essentially the function

S (δ ,η) = −150′ cos δ sin ε + 40.5′ sin 2ε

where η is the moon’s elongation from the sun and δ is the distance of the sun
from the moon’s apogee.
This function has the following symmetry properties

S (δ ′,η) = S ( 360˚−δ ,η) = S (δ ,η) used if δ > 180˚

S (δ ,η′ ) = S (δ ,360˚−η) = −S (δ ,η) used if η > 180˚

S (δ ′,η′ ) = S ( 360˚−δ ,360˚−η) = −S (δ ,η) used if δ > 180˚ and η > 180˚

By using these symmetry relations we can always bring the arguments into
the region [0,180˚]

We see that if η >180˚ we should multiply the value of S with –1 otherwise


with +1.
The interpolation scheme in Tabula Æquationis Luminis
We first bring the arguments to the correct interval. The vertical argument
(η, η’) of the table is integer degrees in steps of 3˚ from 0˚ to 180˚. The
horizontal argument (δ, δ’) is integer steps of 5 degrees from 0˚ to 180˚. In the
following we will suppress primes.

A given pair of arguments (δ, η) will lie inside a square of four tabular values:

The top left cell corresponds to entries in the table being the nearest smaller
integer entries in the table and the bottom right cell to correspond to entries in
the being the nearest larger integer entries. Denote the corresponding smaller
entry values by δ1, and η1, respectively.
Δ1 + Δ2
1. Define Δ1 = t12 − t11 Δ2 = t 22 − t 21 Δ =
2
δ − δ1 δ − δ1
2. Define t1δ = t11 + Δ t 2δ = t 21 + Δ . These are the interpolated
5 5
row values in the δ direction.
η − η1
3. Then t = t1δ + ( t2δ − t1δ ) is the interpolated table value.
3
The modern four point bivariate interpolation formula would give a slightly
different value.
Tycho and Kepler variants
Argumentum Menstrum Δ = E − δ
Particula Exsors p = 3; 25sin 2δ
Scrupula Menstrum A SA = 60sin Δ

Scrupula Menstrum B SB = 60sin(90˚− Δ)

Angle φ = −2.5SA SB /60 + p


Corrected mean anomaly M1 = ω + φ /60

v1 1− e E
Kepler’s equation gives E1 and tan = tan 1
2 1+e 2
Corrected longitude λ2 = v1 + ω
Elongation η2 = λ2 − λ sun
Tycho variation VT = 0; 40, 30sin 2η2 Kepler variation VK = 0; 51, 15sin 2η2
Orbital longitude λ = λ2 + V

Argumentatio anguli soluti γ = 0; 18cos2 σ


Node correction Tycho εΩ = 0; 100sin 2σ

Node correction Kepler εΩ = 0; 100sin3 2σ


In the spreadsheet Kepler’s tables are used for these corrections although the
difference in the end result is neglible.

Latitude simplex sin β1 = sinisin(λ − Ω − εΩ )

β1γ
True latitude β = β1 +
5
Corrected inclination I = i + 0; 18cos σ
True longitude Λ = λ − ελ

tan(λ − Ω − εΩ )(1 − cos I )


Orbital correction tan ελ =
1 + tan2 (λ − Ω − εΩ ) cos I

True longitude Λ = λ − ελ
Equations of time (p. 32 Tab. Rudolph.)

For the Tycho perpetua we have


Δt1 = (α sun − λ sun ) ⋅ 4

α sun being the rectascesion of the sun with tan α sun = tan λ sun cosε, ε = 23;52, the
obliquity of the ecliptic. The angular measure is converted to time in minutes
by multiplying with 4. This equation takes into account that the sun moves
along the ecliptic but its projection moves along the equator.
Tabula Æquationis temporis temporaria ad annum Chr. MDCXVI
Astronomica column:
Δt2 = 2;4sin(vsun ) ⋅ 4 + Δt1
vsun is the true anomaly of the sun.
This equation of time corresponds, apart from the sign to the modern
definition. The first term is the equation of centre for the sun and takes into
account that the sun has an unequal motion in the ellipse. The factor 2;4
comes from the first term in a series expansion
v − M ≈ 2esin v with e = 0.018.
Physica column:
Δt3 = 3;21sin(vsun ) ⋅ 4 + Δt1
Kepler chooses to include one of the moon corrections in this equation of
time.

You might also like