scholarly journals Survey of Observational Techniques and Hipparcos Reanalysis

2000 ◽  
Vol 178 ◽  
pp. 237-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Vondrák ◽  
Cyril Ron ◽  
Ivan Pešek

AbstractPolar motion and Universal Time have been regularly determined since 1899 and 1956, respectively, at a number of observatories all over the world. Before the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) was established in 1988, the classical astrometry instruments such as visual zenith-telescopes, PZTs, transit instruments, astrolabes etc. were used. The survey of all these instruments and the methods of observation used is described. The values of instantaneous latitude and UT0-UTC made at a set of selected observatories and based on individual star observations have been collected at the Astronomical Institute in Prague during the past years. They were recalculated using the most recent astronomical standards and the Hipparcos Catalogue, and used to determine the Earth orientation parameters (polar motion, celestial pole offsets and Universal Time). The most recent solution, based on about 4.5 million observations with 47 different instruments at 33 observatories, is described and the results of polar motion presented.

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 553-553
Author(s):  
J. Vondrák ◽  
C. Ron ◽  
I. Pešek ◽  
A. Čepek

The optical astrometry observations of latitude/universal time variations made with 48 instruments at 31 observatories are used to determine the Earth orientation parameters (EOP) since the beginning of the century. The Hipparcos Catalogue is used to bring more than four million individual observations, made in the interval 1899.7-1992.0, into the International Celestial Reference System. The Earth orientation parameters (polar motion, celestial pole offsets and, since 1956.0, also universal time UT1) are determined at 5-day intervals, with average uncertainties ranging from 8 mas (in the eighties) to about 40 mas (in the forties). Making use of very long series of ground-based observations, the solution also leads to the improvement of proper motions of about ten per cent of the observed Hipparcos stars, with precision of ±0.2 — 0.5 mas/yr. In addition, 474 auxiliary parameters, describing the rheological properties of the Earth and seasonal deviations of the observations at contributing observatories, are found. The new solution provides the EOP series suitable for further analyses, e.g., for studying long-periodic polar motion, length-of-day changes or precession/nutation.


2011 ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Damljanovic ◽  
I.S. Milic

During the last century, there were many so-called independent latitude (IL) stations with the observations which were included into data of a few international organizations (like Bureau International de l'Heure - BIH, International Polar Motion Service - IPMS) and the Earth rotation programmes for determining the Earth Orientation Parameters - EOP. Because of this, nowadays, there are numerous astrometric ground-based observations (made over many decades) of some stars included in the Hipparcos Catalogue (ESA 1997). We used these latitude data for the inverse investigations - to improve the proper motions in declination ?? of the mentioned Hipparcos stars. We determined the corrections ??? and investigated agreement of our ?? and those from the catalogues Hipparcos and new Hipparcos (van Leeuwen 2007). To do this we used the latitude variations of 7 stations (Belgrade, Blagoveschtschensk, Irkutsk, Poltava, Pulkovo, Warsaw and Mizusawa), covering different intervals in the period 1904.7 - 1992.0, obtained with 6 visual and 1 floating zenith telescopes (Mizusawa). On the other hand, with regard that about two decades have elapsed since the Hipparcos ESA mission observations (the epoch of Hipparcos catalogue is 1991.25), the error of apparent places of Hipparcos stars has increased by nearly 20 mas because of proper motion errors. Also, the mission lasted less than four years which was not enough for a sufficient accuracy of proper motions of some stars (such as double or multiple ones). Our method of calculation, and the calculated ?? for the common IL/Hipparcos stars are presented here. We constructed an IL catalogue of 1200 stars: there are 707 stars in the first part (with at least 20 years of IL observations) and 493 stars in the second one (less than 20 years). In the case of ?? of IL stars observed at some stations (Blagoveschtschensk, Irkutsk, Mizusawa, Poltava and Pulkovo) we find the formal errors less than the corresponding Hipparcos ones and for some of them (stations Blagoveschtschensk and Irkutsk) even less than the new Hipparcos ones.


2000 ◽  
Vol 178 ◽  
pp. 571-584
Author(s):  
Nicole Capitaine

AbstractThe current IAU conventional models for precession and nutation are referred to the Celestial Ephemeris Pole (CEP). However, the concept corresponding to the CEP is not clear and cannot easily be extended to the most recent models and observations. Its realization is actually dependent both on the model used for precession, nutation and polar motion and on the observational procedure for estimating the Earth orientation parameters. A new definition of the CEP should therefore be given in order to be in agreement with modern models and observations at a microarsecond level. This paper reviews the various realizations of the pole according to the models and observations and discusses the proposals for a modern definition of the CEP that are under consideration within the work of the subgroup T5 entitled “Computational Consequences” of the “ICRS” IAU Working Group.


1988 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 187-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mallama ◽  
T. A. Clark ◽  
J. W. Ryan

This study compares the earth orientation results obtained by the NASA CDP and the NGS IRIS experiments. The results agree at about one combined formal error (two milliarcseconds) after small biases (one to three milliarcseconds) have been removed from each component. Furthermore the biases are found to correspond to small rotations between the reference frames, principally the terrestrial frame, for the two sets of experiments. In the past the CDP data has not been used in combined solutions of earth orientation parameters prepared by the data centers at the U.S.N.O. and the B.I.H. The authors propose that these data should be included because they are distinct from the IRIS data and represent an important supplement to those data. We also point out that the total number of observations is about equal in the CDP and IRIS experiment sets.


1997 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Vondrák ◽  
C. Ron ◽  
I. Pešek

AbstractNew determination of the Earth orientation parameters (EOP), based on optical astrometry observations since the beginning of the century, is now under preparation by the Working group established by Commission 19 of the IAU. The Hipparcos catalog is to define the celestial reference frame in which the new series of EOP are to be described. The novelties of the prepared solution are the higher resolution (5 days) and more parameters estimated from the solution (celestial pole offsets, rheological parameters of the Earth, certain instrumental constants). The mathematical model of the solution is described, and the results based on the observations made with 46 instruments at 29 observatories and a preliminary Hipparcos catalog are presented.


1986 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 63-64
Author(s):  
Dennis D. McCarthy

AbstractObservations of Earth orientation parameters (polar motion and Universal Time) have reached a level of accuracy which challenges the definition of the reference systems which these observations seek to relate. Observational accuracies of better than in polar motion and in Universal Time are now routinely available. Urgent requirements therefore exist now for the IAU to take a fresh look at the concepts and definitions of the reference systems as well as reference frames. Of particular concern are the definitons of the equinox, the terrestrial reference pole, the zero of longitude and sidereal time.


2000 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 153-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Capitaine

AbstractThe adoption of the International Celestial Reference System (ICRS) by the IAU in use since 1 January 1998, and the accuracy achieved by the most recent models and observations of Earth rotation call for a redefinition of the Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP). First, the precession-nutation parameters and Greenwich sidereal time, which are currently defined in the FK5 System, have to be re-defined to be consistent with the ICRS. Second, the current definition of the Celestial Ephemeris Pole (CEP) has to be extended in order to be consistent with the most recent models for nutation and polar motion at a microarsecond accuracy including diurnal and sub-diurnal components, as well as with new strategies of observations. Such issues have been under consideration by the subgroup T5 named “Computational Consequences” of the IAU Working Group “ICRS”. This paper gives, as the basis for future recommendations, the preliminary proposals of the subgroup T5 for a modern definition of the CEP, for the definition of more basic EOP in the ICRS and for the choice of a new origin on the equator of the CEP in place of the equinox. Then, the paper emphasizes the use of the Celestial Ephemeris Origin (CEO) which is defined as the “non-rotating origin” in the celestial frame on the equator of the CEP.


2015 ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Vondrák ◽  
C. Ron

In addition to torques exerted by the Moon, Sun, and planets, changes of the Earth orientation parameters (EOP) are known to be caused also by excitations by the atmosphere and oceans. Recently appeared studies, hinting that geomagnetic jerks (GMJ, rapid changes of geomagnetic field) might be associated with sudden changes of phase and amplitude of EOP (Holme and de Viron 2005, 2013, Gibert and Le Mou?l 2008, Malkin 2013). We (Ron et al. 2015) used additional excitations applied at the epochs of GMJ to derive its influence on motion of the spin axis of the Earth in space (precession-nutation). We demonstrated that this effect, if combined with the influence of the atmosphere and oceans, improves substantially the agreement with celestial pole offsets observed by Very Long-Baseline Interferometry. Here we concentrate our efforts to study possible influence of GMJ on temporal changes of all five Earth orientation parameters defining the complete Earth orientation in space. Numerical integration of Brzezi?ski's broad-band Liouville equations (Brzezi?ski 1994) with atmospheric and oceanic excitations, combined with expected GMJ effects, is used to derive EOP and compare them with their observed values. We demonstrate that the agreement between all five Earth orientation parameters integrated by this method and those observed by space geodesy is improved substantially if the influence of additional excitations at GMJ epochs is added to excitations by the atmosphere and oceans.


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