A set of quantities employed in the construction of theories of planetary motion and in the calculation of the motions and positions of the bodies. In order to process observational data, and to perform calculations involving planetary data, it is necessary to have an agreed system of numerical values of important quantities such as the speed of light and the constant of gravitation. If different investigators, working at different times, employ different values of these quantities, chaos will ensue. The results cannot easily be compared, and the correctness of one or the other approach cannot be readily determined.
Clemence (1965) notes that the concept of a system of astronomical units probably originated with Simon Newcomb (q.v.) sometime before 1877. The current system of astronomical constants was defined in 1976 and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) (q.v.) in 1984. This system is given in Table A8. The listing shows defining constants, primary constants,...
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Bibliography
Clemence, G. M. (1965) The system of astronomical constants. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys., 3, 93–111.
Naval Observatory (1991) American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. Washington, DC: US Govt Printing Office.
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Shirley, J.H. (1997). Astronomical constants . In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_30
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