Re: Planet X/12th Planet Retrograde Orbit

Article: <[email protected]> 
Subject: Re: Planet X/12th Planet Retrograde Orbit
Date: 13 Apr 1998 14:43:06 GMT

In article <[email protected]> John Ladasky writes:
> We were having a discussion about parallax last week.  I am
> still waiting for you to provide coordinates for your fictional 
> object on the following dates:
>      March 1, 1998
>      June 1, 1998
>      September 1, 1998
>      December 1, 1998

OK, I think I understand that you want the wobble coordinates.  You
want that RA and Dec close enough together in time so that they take
into account the wobble.  A year apart skips this, so you need DURING
the year.  Gotcha.  They want to provide this.

(Begin ZetaTalk[TM])
Your parallax assumes that an object at a great distance will remain
stationary against the backdrop of the sky, the stars and galaxies also
at a great distance, as the Earth revolves around her Sun during the
year.  As an object approaches, its distance can be determined by it's
apparent motion against the backdrop, a back and forth motion which is
in fact, in most cases, simply the motion of the Earth.  Assuming an
inbound object, approaching in an essentially straight line toward the
Sun, the difference in RA and Dec during the year would allow a
computation of distance.  We have stated that the RA and Dec as or will
be:
         RA 6.24 Dec 19.16 on December 1, 1997
         RA 6.32 Dec 21.57 on January 1, 1999
         RA 6.24 Dec 23.45 on January 1, 2000
which diagrams the turnaround point where Planet X moves into a
retrograde orbit.  Obviously, it is in MOTION during this time, moving
at present in a normal counterclockwise motion, but slowing during this
year.  Taking that into consideration, you will see that simply giving
you precise RA and Dec coordinates will NOT allow you to properly
calculate the parallax.  Therefore, we will instead give you the
wobble, in RA and Dec DIFFERENCES.  This is, after all, your stated
goal here.  The RA would differ, over the year, should Planet X be
utterly stationary in relationship to you and your Sun, by .024
degrees, and the Dec by a fraction of this, by .007269 degrees.  
(End ZetaTalk[TM])