Mercury Heliocentric Trajectory Data in Multiple Coordinate Systems, Daily

Heliocentric trajectory data for the planet Mercury, provided in Heliographic (HG), Heliographic Inertial (HGI), and Solar Ecliptic (SE) coordinate systems. The data is derived from NASA JPL's Horizons system and uses the 'Mean of Date' method for the Equinox Epoch, accounting for the drift of the First Point of Aries. This dataset is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling spacecraft ephemeris near Mercury based on the description of using planetary orbit data as a proxy.
• Analyzing solar system dynamics based on heliocentric longitude and coordinate data.
• Comparing coordinate transformations based on the provided HG, HGI, and SE systems.
• Studying the drift of the First Point of Aries based on the described Equinox Epoch calculation methods.

Strengths

• Data originates from the authoritative NASA JPL Horizons system.
• Coordinates account for the ~1.4° per century drift of the First Point of Aries.
• Provides trajectory data in three distinct coordinate systems (HG, HGI, SE).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, derived from NASA JPL Horizons.

Collection Method

Calculated from original trajectory data using the 'Mean of Date' Equinox Epoch method.

Time Range

Daily data; specific temporal coverage is not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 07:41:21.150517; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Heliocentric (solar system).