Related papers: Measuring the Earth-Sun distance during a lunar ec…
Since the late 19th century, several investigators have estimated the mass of the atmosphere. Unlike previous studies, which focus on the average pressures on the earth's surface, this analysis uses the density of air above the earth's…
A primary objective of the Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiment is to provide precise observations of the lunar orbit that contribute to a wide range of science investigations. Time series of the highly accurate measurements of the distance…
More than 635 000 positional observations (mostly radiotechnical) of planets and spacecraft (1961-2010), have been used for estimating possible changes of the gravitation constant, the solar mass, and semi-major axes of planets, as well as…
The search of a rational explanation of eclipses pervades the beginnings of philosophical and scientific thought. Within this intellectual frame, the knowledge of the "saros cycle" (a cycle of 18 years, 10 or 11 days and 1/3 of a day that…
Context: In studies of the solar spectrum relative to spectra of solar twin stars, it has been found that the chemical composition of the Sun seems to depart systematically from those of the twins. One possible explanation is that the…
Astrometry provides the foundation for astrophysics. Accurate positions are required for the association of sources detected at different times or wavelengths, and distances are essential to estimate the size, luminosity, mass, and ages of…
A time-dependent gravitational constant or mass would correctly describe the suspected increasing of both: the Astronomical unit and the eccentricity of the Lunar orbit around the Earth.
We show that for a transiting exoplanet accompanied by a moon which also transits, the absolute masses and radii of the star, planet and moon are determinable. For a planet-star system, it is well known that the density of the star is…
In a classic 1982 paper in this journal, Jean Meeus used a statistical approach for finding the mean frequency of a total and an annular eclipse of the Sun at a given place on the surface of the Earth. In this current paper we tackle the…
The Moon is a unique platform for fundamental astrophysical measurements of gravitation, the Sun, and the Universe. Lacking a permanent ionosphere and, on the farside, shielded from terrestrial radio emissions, a radio telescope on the Moon…
It is well-known that the light curve of a transiting planet contains information about the planet's orbital period and size relative to the host star. More recently, it has been demonstrated that a tight constraint on an individual…
The data from solar neutrino experiments together with standard solar model predictions are used in order to derive the possible profile of the magnetic field inside the Sun, assuming the existence of a sizeable neutrino magnetic moment and…
Stellar activity is a potential important limitation to the detection of low mass extrasolar planets with indirect methods (RV, photometry, astrometry). In previous papers, using the Sun as a proxy, we investigated the impact of stellar…
This work deals with the comparison of different parameters (French/IMCCE and US/JPL ephemerides) used to calculate the extension of the umbral shadow and the location of the centre line in the total solar eclipse that took place on March,…
The null findings of the terrestrially conducted Michelson-Morley type experiments have been influential to determining which physical theory best fits reality. Here, we propose the use of parallax and ranging techniques of distance…
The moon, moonlight, phases of the moon and its relatively simple recurring cycle has been of interest since time immemorial to the human beings, navigators, astronomers and astrologers. The fact that its orbit is elliptical as well its…
The Sun's vertical displacement from the galactic plane is determined model-independently from 3457 spectroscopic-parallax distance estimates for 2397 OB stars within 1200 pc of the Sun. The result, 19.5 +/- 2.2 pc, agrees well with other…
We evaluate gravitational lensing as a technique for the detection of extrasolar moons. Since 2004 gravitational microlensing has been successfully applied as a detection method for extrasolar planets. In principle, the method is sensitive…
Many science missions require an unobstructed view of space and a stable thermal environment but lack the technical or programmatic resources to reach orbits that satisfy these needs. This paper presents a high Earth orbit in 2:1 resonance…
The relative brightnesses of standard candles have long been known to be potentially powerful probes of distance. The distance modulus, the difference between observed and absolute magnitudes, has been associated with the values of the…