An Analysis of Lunar Occultations 1960-66

About 10 000 observations of occultations of stars by the Moon have been reduced using the lunar ephemeris j = 1 with corrections for limb profile irregularities. The resulting observed minus tabulated positions of the Moon have been analysed and the following conclusions drawn: 1. There is no significant difference between the duration of the E.T. I second and the S.I. second. On this assumption the relation between the ephemeris and atomic time scales is $$\text{E.T.I (Newcomb)} = A3 + 32^{s.}24 \pm 0^{s.}02 \,\text{(s.e.).}$$ 2. The following periodic terms are present in the observed minus tabulated positions of the Moon, $$\text{(i) in longitude} (+0^{\prime\prime}.173 \pm 0^{\prime\prime}.008) \,\text{sin} \,l$$ $$(+0^{\prime\prime}.172 \pm 0^{\prime\prime}.008) \,\text{cos} \,l$$ $$\text{(ii) in latitude} (-0^{\prime\prime}.207 \pm 0^{\prime\prime}.018) \,\text{cos} \,F$$ $$(-0^{\prime\prime}.096 \pm 0^{\prime\prime}.014) \,\text{sin} \,l$$ $$(+0^{\prime\prime}.355 \pm 0^{\prime\prime}.021) \,\text{cos} \,L$$ The first three terms can be interpreted as corrections to Brown's values of the eccentricity, longitude of perigee and longitude of node of the Moon's orbit. 3. These values confirm that no significant corrections to the adopted values of the motions of the node and perigee are required. 4. The observations reflect the small error $$-0^{\prime\prime}.034 \,\text{sin} \,(F-2D)$$ in the Improved Lunar Ephemeris.