The Expanding Universe, Planetary Motion and the Pioneer 10/11 Anomaly

Abstract

The effect of the expanding universe on planetary motion is considered to first order in the Hubble constant H. Orbital elements are shown to be unaffected, but there is a small change in the connection between planetary proper time and coordinate time. This can produce an apparent anomalous acceleration in velocities inferred from echo-ranging, but the effect is too small by many orders of magnitude to account for the Pioneer 10/11 anomaly.