Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Tulip
I hope you and Ray won't mind if I ask some dumb questions about the Y axis. When planets are at the top of the curve does this mean they are at the point on their orbit where their solar latitude is greatest, ie northern point vis-a-vis solar system ecliptic plane? And vice versa is the bottom of the curve when planets are at southmost point of their orbit? Are the inflection points the nodes of each planetary orbit? Do the four gas giants all have the same amplitude of solar latitude or are the data harmonised to put them on the same scale?
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Robert, this graph is in the solar body coordinate frame, which is tilted with respect to the ecliptic by about 7.1 degrees as already described by Ray.
The Y axis is a simple linear projection of latitude from 0 at the solar equator towards the Sun's N and S rotational poles.
The first faint lines above and below the darker solar equatorial centre line are + and -0.2 radians (~11.4592 degrees) N and S solar latitude respectively.
The latitudes have not been 'normalized' in any way - the gas giants are not inclined to the ecliptic as strongly as the ~7 degree tilt of the solar body equator to the ecliptic, thus ensuring they all have a pronounced solar latitude cycle that does not deviate far from the ecliptic ~7 degrees max.
The zero crossings of any planet are always at the nodal points where it's orbit crosses the solar equator.