Date Of Reference (Noun)
Meaning
(astronomy) an arbitrarily fixed date that is the point in time relative to which information (as coordinates of a celestial body) is recorded.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The position of the planet was recorded with respect to the date_of_reference, which was set as January 1, 2000.
- The catalog of star positions used a date_of_reference of 1950 to define the coordinate system.
- Astronomers chose a date_of_reference of March 20, 1980, as the reference point for the orbital elements of the comet.
- The orbital calculations were performed relative to a date_of_reference of November 1, 1999, to ensure consistency with previous observations.
- The celestial mechanics software used a date_of_reference of January 1, 2010, to define the reference frame for the asteroid's trajectory.