Lunar degree 2 potential Love number determination from satellite tracking data

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 effor as well), closer in agreement with the lunar laser ranging values. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.