Positional astronomy in practice

Astronomical almanacs contain predictions of the positions of celestial bodies — the ephemerides — and of astronomical phenomena such as the rising and setting of the Sun, Moon and planets, but also of solar and lunar eclipses and of phenomena of the moons of Jupiter.

Positional astronomy in practice is a mathematical treatment of the practical calculation of ephemerides and predictions of astronomical phenomena. We start from the basic coordinates of the celestial bodies. Through transformations, we find positions in several useful coordinate systems, allowing for the calculation of predictions of astronomical phenomena by imposing conditions on the positions.