Astronomical Prediction Based on Patterns

This page will demonstrate that prediction in astronomy is based solely on patterns in the sky. Celestial events come in patterns and trends. By analyzing the patterns of past behaviors from historic tables it is possible to create an equation that will predict a future event. This is how prediction in astronomy has been performed for thousands of years, and how it is still performed today.

=Ancient Astronomy=

Ancient Babylonians
Astronomy for Physical Science - Cal State Long Beach (Archive)

Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times: Volume One

=Modern Astronomy=

Description and Function
Gravitation Vs. Relativity by Charles Lane Poor, PhD Full Text Link

Motion of the Planets p.132

Motion of the Planets p.138

Use in Astronomical Almanacs
From the Wikipedia section on Special Perturbations (Archive):

General Application
Perturbation methods are, in fact, prevalent in many areas of science. From Perturbations in Complex Molecular Systems | (Archive) we read the following:

The Wikipedia article on Perturbation Theory echoes the same:

History
The article also provides a history of Perturbation Theory:

VSOP
VSOP (French: Variations Séculaires des Orbites Planétaires) is a popular software package used to generate planetary ephemeris, the position of astronomical objects in the sky. It is used in astronomy software such as Stellarium and Celestia. It has been alleged that VSOP uses a geometric RET model to make its predictions, and so VSOP and the astronomy software which use it is therefore validation of the theory. We find, however, that VSOP is based on the ancient pattern methods of epicycles and perturbations:

Comparing VSOP to the Ptolemaic System
The following is left by an editor on VSOP's Wikipedia Talk Page (Archive):

Comments from Celstia Developers
Celestia Developers comment on the large number of planet-specific terms used in computing positions:

https://celestia.space/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8285 (Archive)

https://celestia.space/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2592 (Archive)

Quotes
R. J. Morrison, F.A.S.L., R.N., in his "New Principia," says:

Sir Richard Phillips in his Million Factssays:

Eclipses
The Royal Astronomer Sir Robert Ball, in his work The Story of the Heavens, on page 58, informs us:

Somerville in Physical Sciences pg 46 states:

T.G. Ferguson in the Earth Review for September 1894, told us: