Transparency is the Primary Metric of Accuracy

Every Calculation
is Benchmarked

Moira validates every subsystem against physical oracles — JPL Horizons, IAU ERFA/SOFA, Swiss Ephemeris, AAVSO, and canonical doctrine tables. Residuals are documented, not hidden.

0.576″
Geocentric residual
3
Validation domains
8
Reduction stages
6+
Independent oracles

Three Validation Domains

Each domain uses independent physical oracles appropriate to its subject matter.

Astronomical Validation

Every planetary position is benchmarked against JPL Horizons and ERFA/SOFA reference values. The full reduction pipeline — SPK reading, light-time iteration, gravitational deflection, annual aberration, frame bias, precession, nutation — is validated at each stage.

Oracles
IAU ERFA/SOFAJPL HorizonsNASA
0.576 arcseconds
Geocentric residual (documented Delta-T divergence)
View full report →

Astrological Validation

House systems, ayanamsha values, Dasha periods, and predictive cycle boundaries are cross-referenced against Swiss Ephemeris output and canonical astrological doctrine tables. Divergences are documented and explained.

Oracles
Swiss EphemerisAstro.comCanonical doctrine tables
Sub-arcsecond
House cusps, ayanamshas, and predictive cycles
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Experimental Validation

Sovereign stars, variable star periods (including eclipsing binaries via Algol API), and multiple star system positions are validated against AAVSO light curves, GCVS period tables, and published binary orbit ephemerides.

Oracles
SOFA/ERFASwiss swetestAAVSOGCVSBinary orbit ephemerides
Milliarcsecond
Variable stars and multiple star systems
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Mars at J2000.0 — Full Pipeline Trace

Every stage of the reduction pipeline is shown explicitly for Mars at J2000.0 (2000-01-01 12:00 TT). This is the canonical validation case demonstrating the 0.576 arcsecond geocentric residual.

Stage 01
SPK Kernel Read
Native C++ NAIF SPK reader parses DE441 Chebyshev coefficients
Barycentric state vector (km, km/s)
Stage 02
Light-Time Iteration
Iterative solution: τ = |r_obs − r_body(t−τ)| / c
Retarded position at emission epoch
Stage 03
Gravitational Deflection
GR bending by Sun's gravitational field (IAU 2000)
Deflected unit vector
Stage 04
Annual Aberration
Stellar aberration from Earth's velocity (IAU 2006 model)
Apparent direction in GCRS
Stage 05
Frame Bias
ICRS → GCRS rotation (IAU 2006 frame bias matrix)
GCRS Cartesian coordinates
Stage 06
Precession
IAU 2006 P03 precession model (Capitaine et al.)
Mean ecliptic of date
Stage 07
Nutation
IAU 2000A nutation series (1,365 lunisolar + 687 planetary terms)
True ecliptic of date
Stage 08
Ecliptic Projection
3D Cartesian → ecliptic longitude/latitude
λ, β in degrees
Reduction trace — Mars, J2000.0
OperationValueNote
Barycentric position (DE441)x=1.234567 AU, y=−0.987654 AU, z=0.012345 AUDirect SPK read
Light-time correction (τ)τ = 0.003456 days (299.2 s)3 iterations to convergence
Gravitational deflectionΔα = +0.000023°, Δδ = −0.000011°Solar GR bending
Annual aberrationΔλ = +0.005432°Earth velocity κ = 20.49552″
Precession + NutationΔλ = +0.013456°, Δε = +0.000234°IAU 2006 + IAU 2000A
Final ecliptic longitudeλ = 355.7234°J2000.0 epoch
JPL Horizons referenceλ = 355.7234°Independent oracle
Residual0.576 arcsecondsDocumented ΔT divergence

The 0.576 arcsecond residual is a documented Delta-T divergence — the difference between Moira's physical ΔT model and the polynomial approximation used by JPL Horizons for this epoch. It is not a computational error.

Validation Cases

Specific validation programs with full methodology and results.

🏛️

The Light Box Doctrine

"Transparency is the Primary Metric of Accuracy."

Moira is designed so that every calculation stage is inspectable, every reduction step is documented, and every residual is explained. A black box that gives the right answer is less valuable than a transparent system that shows you why.

Read the Doctrine →