LUNAR PROFILES DETERMINED FROM ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSES OF 1962 AND 1963,
Abstract
The lunar profile deduced from the 1962 eclipse plates was found to be insufficiently well-defined due to the effects of irradiation. The 1963 eclipse plates were, however, largely free from this defect, and their analysis led to satisfactory results. The outcome of the reductions revealed that the deviations of the lunar profile from a circle were of the form +0 sec.54 sin 2 beta - 0 sec.16 cos 2 beta + 0 sec.27 sin 3 beta - 0 sec.05 cos 3 beta 0 sec.16 sin 4 beta + 0 sec.11 cos 4 beta, where beta denotes the lunar position angle measured from the eastern part of the equator in the counter-clockwise direction. These deviations were compared with the preceding lunar limb determination and found to be in satisfactory agreement; in particular, they agree within the limits of observational errors with the profiles obtained by Potter (1962) and Watts (1963). The elliptical component of the profile is found to have its major axis inclined by approximately 37 degrees to the lunar axis of rotation--a value which is almost identical with that given by Watts. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0629882
Entities
People
- C. L. Goudas
- M. Davidson
- Z. Kopal
Organizations
- Boeing