How to link C/2001 R8 and SOHO-2225 with EXORB
1. Create a new textfile CK01R080.MPC in your directory Solex110/userdata with the observations from C/2001 R8 and SOHO-2225:
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.81377 10 55 49.5 +07 27 57 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.81377 2 -0.01025091 -0.00152383 -0.00079223 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.82923 10 56 07.7 +07 26 33 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.82923 2 -0.01025122 -0.00152590 -0.00079360 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.83756 10 56 17.4 +07 25 48 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.83756 2 -0.01025139 -0.00152702 -0.00079433 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.85520 10 56 38.7 +07 24 02 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.85520 2 -0.01025174 -0.00152938 -0.00079589 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.89593 10 57 27.7 +07 19 57 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.89593 2 -0.01025256 -0.00153482 -0.00079949 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.91256 10 57 47.6 +07 18 13 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.91256 2 -0.01025289 -0.00153705 -0.00080096 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.92090 10 57 58.0 +07 17 18 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.92090 2 -0.01025306 -0.00153816 -0.00080169 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.93854 10 58 19.8 +07 15 25 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.93854 2 -0.01025341 -0.00154051 -0.00080325 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.96257 10 58 49.4 +07 12 48 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.96257 2 -0.01025389 -0.00154372 -0.00080537 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.97924 10 59 10.2 +07 10 47 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.97924 2 -0.01025422 -0.00154595 -0.00080684 249
CK01R080 S2001 09 06.99590 10 59 30.9 +07 08 50 249
CK01R080 s2001 09 06.99590 2 -0.01025455 -0.00154818 -0.00080831 249
CK12B000 S2012 01 18.93355 20 07 14.79 -19 40 56.9 8.10N 249
CK12B000 s2012 01 18.93355 2 +0.00418112 -0.00901561 -0.00479484 249
CK12B000 S2012 01 18.94188 20 07 03.88 -19 41 11.5 7.95N 249
CK12B000 s2012 01 18.94188 2 +0.00418151 -0.00901552 -0.00479475 249
2. Estimate the orbital period from the observations: 2012/01/18 - 2001/09/06 = 3786 days, P = 1893 days = 5.183 years (a ~ 2.995).
3. Configure EXORB as shown:
4. Import MPC format (I): CK01R080.MPC
5. Edit Positions File (E) and place a '0' after the 2001 observations (at first only 2001 is used).
6. Toggle A0 Fix On (X) with a = 2.995
7. Start the iteration (Enter) until you get an orbit with inclination ~13 deg, then Set as Start (S) this solution.
8. Toggle Fit Kepl. On (K) and toggle 5 Off [1,2,3,4,6 On]. Start the iteration (Enter), save the result (S). [Convert to Keplerian elements]
9. Now add the 2012 observations (Edit Positions file, delete '0' after the 2001 observations)
10. Toggle 1,2,3,4,6 Off and 5 On. Start the iteration (Enter), save the result (S). [solve for a]
11. Toggle 1,2,3,4,6 On [5 On]. Start the iteration (Enter), save the result (S). [solve all]
12. Use SOLEX with STARTING.DAT to generate elements for other epochs