Abstract
The lunar potential Love number k2 has been determined using available satellite tracking data coming from the Lunar Orbiters I‐V, the Apollo 15 and 16 subsatellites, Clementine and Lunar Prospector. Some SMART‐1 spacecraft tracking data are also included. A previous determination using spacecraft data reported k2 = 0.026 ± 0.003 (ten times the formal error), whereas lunar laser ranging results report lower values, around k2 = 0.0210 ± 0.0025. The best estimate obtained here results in k2 = 0.0213 ± 0.0075 (ten times the formal error as well), closer in agreement with the lunar laser ranging values.
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