Multiple Positions Plotting

[theskyhound]

Presumably you want to compare elements from different sources. One thing you could do would be to plot positions with one set and store that way. Then replace the elements with those form another source, and plot again. But I have to say that I don't really see the point in doing this sort of thing. The elements are primarily defined by the observations used to generate them, and those are ALL FROM THE MPC. That is because every observer submits their data to them, not JPL or Lowell. The only other difference is that the same elements can be recalculated for a different date, using an n-body model of the solar system. ASTORB does this recalculation and so does JPL. For close approaching asteroids, the MPC makes elements available for the current date, which amounts to exactly the same thing.

The only other difference would be automated weighting of observations, or human involvement in selecting the data to be included in the orbit calculation, and in extreme cases, a human might provide reasonable constraints for an orbit with little data available. But these things only apply to objects with very few observations. New observations come in all the time, and the orbit will change. This is why SkyTools always overwrites old elements with new ones for the same epoch. But even if you found a difference for a specific asteroid that resulted in more accurate positions, it would be a unique case, and drawing broader conclusions would not be warranted. The results next time could be completely different.