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The information in this table has not been updated since 1965. A better source to check for more current information is:
The Cambridge University Press Handbook of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics

Some Constants of Conventional (C) and revised (R) Systems of Astronomical Constants

This Table has not been updated since 1965. Some information may be outdated

Constant Symbol Systema Valueb
Equatorial radius of Earth a C 6,378,388 m
Rc 6,378,160 m
Flattening of Earth f C 1/297
R 1/298.25 = 0.0033529
Polar radius of Earth a(1 - f) C 6,356,911.946 m
Normal gravity g C 978.049(1 + 0.0052884 sin2φ - 0.0000059 sin22φ) cm/sec2
Solar parallax π C 8".80
R 8".79405 or 8".794d
Constant of nutation, 1900.0 N C 9".21
Rc 9".210
Constant of aberration k C 20".47
R 20".4958
General precession in longitude per tropical century p C 5025".64 + 2".22T
Rc 5025".64
Precession in right ascension per tropical century m C 4608".50 + 2".79T
Precession in declination per tropical century n C 2004".68 - 0".85T
Speed of rotation of the ecliptic per tropical century π C 47".11 - 0.07T
Longitude of axis of rotation of the ecliptic Π C 173°57'03".6 + 3286".2T
Obliquity of the ecliptic ε C 23°27'08".26 - 46".845T - 0".0059T2 + 0".0081T3
Equatorial horizontal parallax of the Moon at distance 60.2665 equatorial radii of thehh Earth C 57'02".70
Velocity of light c C 299,860 km/sec = 186,324 statute miles/sec
Rc 299,792.5 km/sec
Time required for light to travel unit distance
-Calculated from solar parallax C 498".580
-Calculated from constant of aberration C 498".38
Gaussian constant of gravitation k C 0.017202098950000 = 3548".18760069651
Rc 0.01720209893
Number of ephemeris seconds in 1 tropical year (1900) Rc 31,556,925.9747
Measure of 1 AU A Rc 149,600 X 106
Dynamical form factor for Earth J2 Rc 0.0010827
Geocentric gravitational constant GE Rc 398,603 X 109 m3/sec2
Sidereal mean motion of Moon (1900) nc* Rc 2.661699489 X 10-6 radius/sec
Heliocentric gravitational constant, A3k'2 GS R 132,718 X 1018 m3/sec2
Perturbed mean distance of Moon, F2 [GE(1 + μ)/nc*2]1/3 ac R 384,400 X 103 m
Constant of sine parallax for Mooon, ae/ac L R 6".43987 or 6".440c
Constant for parallactic inequality, F2[(1 - μ)/(1 + μ)](ac/A) Pc R 124".986
Planetary mass ratios
-Earth to Moon C 81.45 (for lunar inequality) and 81.53 (by Brown's theory)
-Sun to
--Earth plus Moon C 329,390
R 328,912
--Earth R 332,958
--Mercury R 6,000,000
--Venus R 408,000
--Mars R 3,093,500
--Jupiter R 1,047.355
--Saturn R 3,501.6
--Uranus R 22,869
--Neptune R 19,314
--Pluto R 360,000
a C: system recommended for continued use by the International Astronomical Union in 1952
a R: system adopted by the 1964 IASU and recommended for introduction into almanacs by 1968.
b φ: Latitude
b T: centuries from 1900.0
c Defining constant
d Rounded value should be used except where extra figures are required to insure numerical consistency

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