Method of Calculating Cometary Orbits
Yu. S. Bondarenko, Yu. D. Medvedev
Institute of Applied Astronomy of RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia
Abstract:
A method of constructing a numerical theory of comet motion covering large 
intervals of time is presented. It involves the determination of individual 
values of the constants Α1, Α2, Α3
(radial, transverse, and normal components of 
non-gravitational acceleration) and the displacement of the photo center 
in each apparition. In difficult cases, such as close approaches to the 
major planets, sudden increase of brightness, or considerable asymmetric 
outgassing about perihelion, when Marsden's model of non-gravitational 
acceleration does not allow one to present observations with sufficient 
accuracy, the instantaneous variation of velocity in the cometary motion 
is as-sumed. Based on this methodology, a unified numerical theory of 
the motion of comet Kopff during the time interval 1906-2002 was developed. 
It links 16 cometary apparitions with an RMS residual σ = 1.40".
Key words:
Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Near Earth Objects (NEOs), calculating cometary orbits, numerical theory of comet motion covering large intervals of time, radial component of non-gravitational acceleration, transverse component of non-gravitational acceleration, normal component of non-gravitational acceleration, displacement of the photo center, close approaches to the major planets, sudden increase of brightness, asymmetric outgassing about perihelion, Marsden's model of non-gravitational acceleration, instantaneous variation of velocity in the cometary motion, a unified numerical theory of the motion of comet Kopff, cometary apparitions.