Re: Quick Question; short example

Bjorn Gimle (bjorn.gimle@online.dextel.se)
09 Dec 1995 09:22:04 GMT

#23662 1986-17JK has a small eccentricity, and exhibits the jumps
in AOP, mentioned by Mike McGants.

1 23662U 86017JK  95330.29138255  .00095685  00000-0  69731-3 0  1091
2 23662  51.6649  61.2926 0003782 316.3693  43.6999 15.72510102558258

1 23662U 86017JK  95330.10070957  .00098678  00000-0  71949-3 0  1083
2 23662  51.6605  62.2665 0004078 280.8491  79.1598 15.72483587558223

1 23662U 86017JK  95329.71939707  .00101011  00000-0  73820-3 0  1070
2 23662  51.6581  64.2197 0004528 282.6594  77.3894 15.72417100558162

In the three revolutions 95330.10 - 95330.29, AOP leaped forward
by 36 degrees, so it did only 2.9 anomalistic orbits !
I can't say this is reflected in the mean motion.

I think both anomalistic and nodal period are slightly esoteric
quantities. If a stable elliptic orbit had a rigid, rotating
shape and low inclination (increasing AOP) and a constant MM, 
its nodal period would be much shorter when AOP was close to
180 degrees, which I think violates the principle of conservation
of energy. If the "nodal" period, measured at an arbitrary point
along the orbit, is a constant, the ellipse is not rigid, but
contorted.

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