Planetary nodes and apsides Pro

Every planet has nodes, just like the Moon: the points where its orbit crosses the ecliptic. It also has apsides: perihelion (the orbit's closest point to the Sun) and aphelion (the farthest). Some astrologers use these as sensitive points.

The table

For Mercury through Pluto: ascending node ☊, descending node ☋, perihelion and aphelion, geocentric, plus the heliocentric ascending node and perihelion.

The switch

• “osculating”: from the planet's instantaneous orbit at birth;
• “mean”: from mean orbital elements, which change slowly and smoothly.

Pluto has no mean elements, so it always gets osculating values.