A numerical comparison with the Ceplecha analytical meteoroid orbit determination method

Abstract– Analytic methods by Ceplecha have long been used for the determination of meteoroid heliocentric orbits. These methods include both the derivation of an initial atmospheric contact position and velocity state, and the calculation of an orbit at infinity based on zenithal attraction assumptions. Herein, we describe a numerical integration‐based verification for a portion of the Ceplecha methods, a verification driven by the need for an accurate meteoroid ephemeris in the hours before atmospheric contact. We show a close correspondence in analytic and numerical results, with a previously undocumented minor correction to a meteoroid’s longitude of the ascending node.