This interface enables one to plot and list heliocentric orbit
information for spacecraft remote from Earth and for planets having
heliophysics spacecraft in orbit about them. The object(s) of interest,
time span, time resolution (daily or lower) and coordinate system (solar
ecliptic, inertial and rotating heliographic)are specified by users.
Underlying data files contain heliocentric
distances and elevation and longitude angles at daily resolution. Plot options
include object-specific time series plots of the radial distance and direction
angles, as well as X-Y, X-Z, and Y-Z projections of the heliocentric position
vectors.
In addition, one may plot and list position differences between any two objects as (a) time series of the differences between the radial distances and each of the two direction angles and (b) X-Y, X-Z, and Y-Z projections of the separation vector between the two objects.
These orbital codes were written to support multi-spacecraft
studies of solar wind and cosmic ray phenomena; accuracy is tailored to
facilitate these studies only. Radial distances should be good at an accuracy
of 1%, and angles at 0.1 degree.
Note: sometime it may cause small non-smoothing (spikes) data in calculatin of XYZ-trajectoies
More accurate data may be available at the JPL (Pasadena,CA) at https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html#/
and US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC.
NOTE: the times and dates are as corrected for one way light travel to Earth for all objects.
If you have any questions/comments about HelioIWeb service, contact: Dr. Natalia Papitashvili, Space Physics Data Facility, Mail Code 672, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 |