PAL -- Positional Astronomy Library
0.1.0
Programmer's Manual
Starlink User Note 267.1
Tim Jenness
2012 March 23
Joint Astronomy Centre
http://www.jach.hawaii.edu
Science & Technology Facilities Council
http://www.scitech.ac.uk
Starlink Projecthttp://www.starlink.ac.uk/
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Contents
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stardoccontents
- abstractAbstract
- Introduction
- Citing PAL
- Function Descriptions
- SOFA Mappings
- More complex functions
- palAddet
palAddet
- Add the E-terms to a pre IAU 1976 mean place
- palAirmas
palAirmas
- Air mass at given zenith distance
- palAmp
palAmp
- Convert star RA,Dec from geocentric apparaent to mean place
- palAmpqk
palAmpqk
- Convert star RA,Dec from geocentric apparent to mean place
- palCaldj
palCaldj
- Gregorian Calendar to Modified Julian Date
- palDafin
palDafin
- Sexagesimal character string to angle
- palDe2h
palDe2h
- Equatorial to horizon coordinates: HA,Dec to Az,E
- palDeuler
palDeuler
- Form a rotation matrix from the Euler angles
- palDfltin
palDfltin
- Convert free-format input into double precision floating point
- palDh2e
palDh2e
- Horizon to equatorial coordinates: Az,El to HA,Dec
- palDjcal
palDjcal
- Modified Julian Date to Gregorian Calendar
- palDmat
palDmat
- Matrix inversion & solution of simultaneous equations
- palDs2tp
palDs2tp
- Spherical to tangent plane projection
- palDtt
palDtt
- Return offset between UTC and TT
- palDmoon
palDmoon
- Approximate geocentric position and velocity of the Moon
- palDrange
palDrange
- Normalize angle into range
/- pi
- palDt
palDt
- Estimate the offset between dynamical time and UT
- palDtp2s
palDtp2s
- Tangent plane to spherical coordinates
- palDtps2c
palDtps2c
- Determine RA,Dec of tangent point from coordinates
- palDtt
palDtt
- Return offset between UTC and TT
- palEcmat
palEcmat
- Form the equatorial to ecliptic rotation matrix - IAU 2006
precession model
- palEl2ue
palEl2ue
- Transform conventional elements into "universal" form
- palEpco
palEpco
- Convert an epoch into the appropriate form - 'B' or 'J'
- palEpv
palEpv
- Earth position and velocity with respect to the BCRS
- palEtrms
palEtrms
- Compute the E-terms vector
- palEqecl
palEqecl
- Transform from J2000.0 equatorial coordinates to ecliptic coordinates
- palEqgal
palEqgal
- Convert from J2000.0 equatorial coordinates to Galactic
- palEvp
palEvp
- Returns the barycentric and heliocentric velocity and position of the
Earth
- palFk45z
palFk45z
- Convert B1950.0 FK4 star data to J2000.0 FK5 assuming zero
proper motion in the FK5 frame
- palFk524
palFk524
- Convert J2000.0 FK5 star data to B1950.0 FK4
- palFk54z
palFk54z
- Convert a J2000.0 FK5 star position to B1950.0 FK4 assuming
zero proper motion and parallax
- palGaleq
palGaleq
- Convert from galactic to J2000.0 equatorial coordinates
- palGalsup
palGalsup
- Convert from galactic to supergalactic coordinates
- palGe50
palGe50
- Transform Galactic Coordinate to B1950 FK4
- palGeoc
palGeoc
- Convert geodetic position to geocentric
- palIntin
palIntin
- Convert free-format input into an integer
- palMap
palMap
- Convert star RA,Dec from mean place to geocentric apparent
- palMappa
palMappa
- Compute parameters needed by palAmpqk and palMapqk
- palMapqk
palMapqk
- Quick mean to apparent place
- palMapqkz
palMapqkz
- Quick mean to apparent place
- palNut
palNut
- Form the matrix of nutation
- palNutc
palNutc
- Calculate nutation longitude & obliquoty components
- palObs
palObs
- Parameters of selected ground-based observing stations
- palPa
palPa
- HA, Dec to Parallactic Angle
- palPertel
palPertel
- Update elements by applying planetary perturbations
- palPertue
palPertue
- Update the universal elements by applying planetary perturbations
- palPlanel
palPlanel
- Transform conventional elements into position and velocity
- palPlanet
palPlanet
- Approximate heliocentric position and velocity of major planet
- palPlante
palPlante
- Topocentric RA,Dec of a Solar-System object from heliocentric orbital elements
- palPlantu
palPlantu
- Topocentric RA,Dec of a Solar-System object from universal elements
- palPm
palPm
- Apply corrections for proper motion a star RA,Dec
- palPrebn
palPrebn
- Generate the matrix of precession between two objects (old)
- palPrec
palPrec
- Form the matrix of precession between two epochs (IAU 2006)
- palPreces
palPreces
- Precession - either FK4 or FK5 as required
- palPrenut
palPrenut
- Form the matrix of bias-precession-nutation (IAU 2006/2000A)
- palPv2el
palPv2el
- Position velocity to heliocentirc osculating elements
- palPv2ue
palPv2ue
- Universal elements to position and velocity
- palPvobs
palPvobs
- Position and velocity of an observing station
- palRdplan
palRdplan
- Approximate topocentric apparent RA,Dec of a planet
- palRverot
palRverot
- Velocity component in a given direction due to Earth rotation
- palRvgalc
palRvgalc
- Velocity component in a given direction due to the rotation
of the Galaxy
- palRvlg
palRvlg
- Velocity component in a given direction due to Galactic rotation
and motion of the local group
- palRvlsrd
palRvlsrd
- Velocity component in a given direction due to the Sun's motion
with respect to the dynamical Local Standard of Rest
- palRvlsrk
palRvlsrk
- Velocity component in a given direction due to the Sun's motion
with respect to an adopted kinematic Local Standard of Rest
- palSubet
palSubet
- Remove the E-terms from a pre IAU 1976 catalogue RA,Dec
- palSupgal
palSupgal
- Convert from supergalactic to galactic coordinates
- palUe2el
palUe2el
- Universal elements to heliocentric osculating elements
- palUe2pv
palUe2pv
- Heliocentric position and velocity of a planet, asteroid or comet, from universal elements