0
$\begingroup$

I am using the JPL horizons app to generate an SPK file for Chiron (ID: 20002060) with respect to the solar system barycenter (ID: 0). However, the generated SPK file says the center is with respect to the sun (ID: 10). What is happening and what is the correct center? I'm assuming the correct center is probably 10, but why is Horizons generating an ephemeris file with a different center than specified on the webapp?

The Horizons Input

enter image description here

The Generated Ephemeris

This is the text after decoding the binary data.

enter image description here

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
3
  • $\begingroup$ Note that the Coordinate Center button is ghosted, so you don't actually have a choice. Here's the SPICE Tutorials page: naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/tutorials.html 18_spk may be helpful. $\endgroup$
    – PM 2Ring
    Commented Feb 29 at 14:25
  • $\begingroup$ What do you want to do with this SPK file? Are you using it with the SPICE Toolkit? $\endgroup$
    – PM 2Ring
    Commented Feb 29 at 14:39
  • $\begingroup$ @PM2Ring I was aware that the button is ghosted but I assumed the filled in value of SSB was the center of the SPK file. Maybe it's not and it's just a placeholder with no relation to the file. I ultimately found a workaround, but I am using it in a python script. I read the file in using the spktype21 python library, and then integrate the kernel object with skyfield, but skyfield requires the data to be relative to the solar system's barycenter, so I just did some vector addition to make the correction $\endgroup$
    – Hunter
    Commented Feb 29 at 20:38

0

Reset to default

You must log in to answer this question.

Browse other questions tagged .