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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!zoom!paul
From: paul@zoom.UUCP (20 Proprietor)
Newsgroups: net.wanted,net.astro
Subject: Re: Phase of Moon from Unix time
Message-ID: <141@zoom.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Feb-86 07:39:55 EST
Article-I.D.: zoom.141
Posted: Wed Feb 26 07:39:55 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 02:24:41 EST
References: <75@escher.UUCP>
Reply-To: paul@zoom.UUCP (Captain Sensible)
Organization: Concentric Assoc., Boston
Lines: 30
Xref: watmath net.wanted:8291 net.astro:1419
Summary: 

A program came across the net some time in the recent past.  It was written
by "ArchMach", converted from PL/I by Brian Hess and "extensively cleaned
up" by Rich $alz.  It's called `pom' and I'm sending it to you under separate
cover.  If there's enough interest, you may want to post it to the world.  It
is certainly accurate enough for most, and can be quickly modified to give
you a floating point number representing the phase (rather than a character
string).  I have a multitude of (sometimes ridiculously accurate) programs
for the determination of the ephemerides.  Such topics as:

	* Time conversion routines - UN*X time, UT, ET, UT adjusted for
		longitude, Sidereal Time (apparent, mean), etc., all
		with routines to facilitate cross-conversion.
	* Nutation calculations - based on 1984 IAU Theory of Nutation
		(yes, I DID enter all those coefficients!)
	* Sun calculations
	* Moon calculations
	* Solution of Kepler's equation
	* Comet ephemeris routines (including special programs for the
		oldest sensation...comet Halley)

By the way, they're all written in `C' and run on my 3b2/300 (without a
floating point coprocessor, they actually jog :').  Anyone interested can
send me mail and I'd be glad to further explain, etc.  Given the sheer volume
(about 4k lines), I'd rather not post to the public.  At any rate, feel free
to reply if you have any interest in astronomical calculations.

Who says JPL's cornered the market on space computations :'> ?

								Paul Ruel
							ihnp4!ariel!zoom!paul