A simplified analytical approach for determining eclipses of satellites occulted by a celestial body

Abstract

The primary objective of this paper is to construct an analytical model for determining the total duration of eclipse events of satellites. The approach is based on the assumption that the trace formed in the orbital plane, cutting body’s shadow under the classical conical shadow model, can be described as an ellipse. This allows for the derivation of its parameters through the use of classical orbital elements and solar position in the body’s centric frame. Consequently, the problem of identifying satellite occultation events is simplified to searching for points of intersection between two ellipses: the satellite orbit and the shadow. The developed model has been demonstrated to be applicable for a wide range of inclinations, with the exception of cases where the orbital plane of the satellite's motion coincides with that of the sun's in the body-centric frame. It is shown that the shadow function constructed under the aforementioned assumptions can be simplified in the cylindrical shadow model. Several simplifications are provided in the research. The paper also considers the extension of the model to account for the non-spherical shape of celestial bodies and presents an algorithm for accounting for changes in eclipse duration caused by the heliocentric motion of celestial bodies. The model has been validated through numerous tests with a numerical algorithm and satellite real data, as well as with other analytical models.