Gravitational Inconsistency in the Lunar Theory: Numerical Determination

Abstract

Preliminary numerical integrations of the lunar motion indicate that defects in the lunar ephemeris, due to omissions in the revised Brown lunar theory, produce errors of the order of several hundred meters in the coordinates at certain times. Such errors are large enough to affect adversely analyses of data from spacecraft, as well as determination of ephemeris time. Distinct planetary periodicities seem to appear in the residuals.