Determination of Reference Catalogs for Meridian Observations Using Statistical Method

Abstract

The meridian observational data are useful for developing high-precision planetary ephemerides of the solar system. These historical data are provided by the jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) or the Institut De Mecanique Celeste Et De Calcul Des Ephemerides (IMCCE). However, we find that the reference systems (realized by the fundamental catalogs FK3 (Third Fundamental Catalogue), FK4 (Fourth Fundamental Catalogue), and FK5 (Fifth Fundamental Catalogue), or Hipparcos), to which the observations are referred, are not given explicitly for some sets of data. The incompleteness of information prevents us from eliminating the systematic effects due to the different fundamental catalogs. The purpose of this paper is to specify clearly the reference catalogs of these observations with the problems in their records by using the JPL DE421 ephemeris. The data for the corresponding planets in the geocentric celestial reference system (GCRS) obtained from the DE421 are transformed to the apparent places with different hypothesis regarding the reference catalogs. Then the validations of the hypothesis are tested by two kinds of statistical quantities which are used to indicate the significance of difference between the original and transformed data series. As a result, this method is proved to be effective for specifying the reference catalogs, and the missed information is determined unambiguously. Finally these meridian data are transformed to the GCRS for further applications in the development of planetary ephemerides.