Planetary Ephemeris Data

The Observational Data to which Modern Planetary and Lunar Ephemerides are Adjusted

The creation of modern ephemerides involves the fitting of the ephemerides to a wide variety of astronomical measurements (observations).
This website presents the sets of observations that are currently being used in creation and improvement of modern planetary and lunar ephemerides.

This page is currently maintained by

William Folkner

(william.folkner@jpl.nasa.gov)

The content comes from many sources with key contributions from

E Myles Standish

(ems@jpl.nasa.gov)

Agnes Fienga

(fienga@bdl.fr)

Elena V Pitjeva

(evp@quasar.ipa.nw.ru)

A similar website is maintained at

The Bureau des Longitudes, Paris

"http://www.bdl.fr/podb/podb2/bdp4.html"

Present Home Page for the IAU Commission 4 (Ephemerides) : "http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/iau-comm4/"

Meridian Circle Timings (Transits)

Bordeaux, 1985-96

RGO, Herstmonceux,1957-82

RGO, La Palma, 1984-98

USNO 9", 1913-25, 1935-45

Format References

Photographic Astrometry of outer planets and satellites

Photographic Astrometry of Pluto

CCD Astrometry of the Outer Planets and Satellites

Astrolabe Observations

Radar Ranging

from Eupatoria, Crimea

Mercury, 1980-95; Venus, 1962-95; Mars, 1971-95

from Goldstone, California

Mars, 1971-94 Format References

Mercury Closure, 1989-97

Miscellaneous Normal Points

Spacecraft 3-D Measurements

Right ascension, declination and range estimates
from spacecraft encounters, or from each Cassini orbit about Saturn,
with tracking data re-reduced in ICRF frame.

Spacecraft 3-D Observations Format