Solar Coordinates

This algorithm is capable to calculate the geocentric position of

the Sun with an accuracy of 0.01 degree. With this method the
perturbations by the Moon and the planets are neglected. The method
is based on a purely elliptical motion of the Earth around the Sun.
Let JD be the Julian (Ephemeris) Day. Then the time T, measured in
Julian Centuries of 36525 ephemeris days from the epoch J2000.0
(2000 January 1.5 TD), which is given by:
T = (JD - 2451545.0) / 36525
This quantity should be calculated with a sufficient number of
decimals. One minute in time corresponds with a difference of
0.000000019 in T.
Then the geometric mean longitude of the Sun, reffered to the mean
equinox of the date, is given by:
L0 = 280.46645 + 36000.76983 T + 0.0003032 T 2
The mean anomaly of the Sun is:
M = 357.52910 + 35999.05030 T - 0.0001559 T 2 - 0.00000048 T 3
The eccentricity of the Earth's orbit is:
e = 0.016708617 - 0.000042037 T - 0.0000001236 T 2
Then find the Sun's equation of center C as follows:
C = (1.914600 - 0.004817 T - 0.000014 T 2) sin M + (0.01993 0.000101 T) sin 2M + 0.000290 sin 3M
Then the Sun's true longitude is:
S = L0 + C
and it's true anomaly is:
v = M + C
The Sun's radius vector, or the distance from the Earth to the Sun,
expressed in astronomical units, is given by
R = (1.000001018 (1 - e 2)) / (1 + e cos v)
The Sun's geometric equatorial coordinates can be calculated by:
tan R.A. = (cos E sin S) / cos S
sin Decl. = sin E sin S
in which E is the obliquity of the ecliptic, which has the value of
2326'21".448 = 23.4392911 for the epoch of J2000.0 and
23.4457889 for B1950.0. You should remember that the tangent
function does not always return the correct value of R.A.. The
value is correct when it is in the same quadrant as S.
-------------------------------------------------------------------Example

Calculate the Sun's position on 1992 October 13 at 0h TD (= JDE

2448908.5).
We find successively:
T
L
M
e
C
S
R

=
0
=
=
=
=
=

- 0.072183436
= - 2318.19281 = 201.80719
- 2241.00604 = 278.99396
0.016711651
- 1.89732
199.90887 = 19954'36"
0.99766 AE

With:
E = 23.4392911
we find for:
R.A. = 198.39082 = 13h.225388 = 13h13m31s.4
Decl. = - 7.78507 = - 747'06"
-------------------------------------------------------------------The 'correct' values, calculated by means of the complete VSOP87
theory, are :
S = 19954'26".18
R = 0.99760853 AE
R.A. = 13h13m30s.749
Decl. = - 747'01".74