THE CELESTIAL BODIES MOTION THEORIES - ON THE REQUIRED ACCURACY OF THE MOTION THEORIES OF THE PERTURBING BODIES

The equation for calculation of the required accuracy of the perturbin g bodies motion theories is obtained. The equation relates the accurac y required to take into account perturbing acceleration, acting on the perturbed body, with the accuracy of the motion theory of the perturb ing body. The solutions for estimation of the required accuracy both f or the inner and external cases in the spherical coordinates are coinc ided. The solution for the calculation of the required accuracy for th e general case (combining the inner and the external cases) in Cartesi an coordinates is obtained. The special cases for the solution in Cart esian are studied. As an example, the estimations of the required accu racy of the motion theories of the solar system planets for some pertu rbed bodies (the near-Earth asteroid 4179 Toutatis, the main belt aste roid 208 Larcimosa, the trojan asteroid 588 Achilles, the centaur aste roid 5145 Pholus, the Kuiper belt asteroid 1995 QZ9, the comet Halley) are obtained. The conditions of the use of the obtained results are d iscussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.