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                         IMCCE - Observatoire de Paris

                           CONFIGURATIONS OF PLANETS

                                1998, September
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/pub/ephem/planets/config
   
AUTHORS : Bretagnon P., G. Francou

ADDRESS :   IMCCE - Observatoire de Paris
	    77 av. Denfert Rochereau, F-75014 PARIS

CONTENTS :

Configurations of Planets between 1990 and 2009 in dynamical time.

Conjunction :
The Earth and the planet have the same apparent geocentric longitude.
For Mercury and Venus, inferior conjunction occurs when the planet is
between the Earth and the Sun, and superior conjunction occurs when the
Sun is between the Earth and the planet.

Opposition :
The apparent geocentric longitude of an outer planet differs by 180 degrees
from the apparent geocentric longitude of the Sun.

Gresteast elongation :
The geocentric angular distances of Mercury and Venus from the Sun are
at the maximum and measured from 0 degree east or west of the Sun.

Quadrature :
The geocentric angular distance of an outer planet from the Sun is equal
to 90 degrees east or west of the Sun.

Stationary :
The rate of change of the apparent right ascension of the planet is equal
to zero.

Perihelion :
The heliocentric distance of the planet is at the minimum.

Aphelion :
The heliocentric distance of the planet is at the maximum.


SOURCE :

The configurations are computed with the planetary theory VSOP87 :
Bretagnon P., Francou G.
Astron. Astrophys. 202, 309 (1988).


FILES :

1990-94 : Configuration between 1990 and 1994.
1995-99 : Configuration between 1995 and 1999.
2000-04 : Configuration between 2000 and 2004.
2005-09 : Configuration between 2005 and 2009.

End of document

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