Merge pull request #916 from sfinkens/doc-seviri-hrit-orbit-coefs

Update orbit coefficient docstrings in seviri_l1b_hrit

satpy/readers/seviri_l1b_hrit.py

@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ def _get_satpos_cart(self):
         """
         orbit_polynomial = self.prologue['SatelliteStatus']['Orbit']['OrbitPolynomial']
 
-        # Find Chebyshev coefficients for the given time
+        # Find Chebyshev coefficients for the start time of the scan
         coef_idx = self._find_orbit_coefs()
         tstart = orbit_polynomial['StartTime'][0, coef_idx]
         tend = orbit_polynomial['EndTime'][0, coef_idx]
@@ -326,11 +326,19 @@ def _get_satpos_cart(self):
         return x*1000, y*1000, z*1000  # km -> m
 
     def _find_orbit_coefs(self):
-        """Find orbit coefficients for the current time.
-
-        The orbital Chebyshev coefficients are only valid for a certain time interval. The header entry
-        SatelliteStatus/Orbit/OrbitPolynomial contains multiple coefficients for multiple time intervals. Find the
-        coefficients which are valid for the nominal timestamp of the scan.
+        """Find orbit coefficients for the start time of the scan.
+
+        The header entry SatelliteStatus/Orbit/OrbitPolynomial contains multiple coefficients, each
+        of them valid for a certain time interval. Find the coefficients which are valid for the
+        start time of the scan.
+
+        A manoeuvre is a discontinuity in the orbit parameters. The flight dynamic algorithms are
+        not made to interpolate over the time-span of the manoeuvre; hence we have elements
+        describing the orbit before a manoeuvre and a new set of elements describing the orbit after
+        the manoeuvre. The flight dynamic products are created so that there is an intentional gap
+        at the time of the manoeuvre. Also the two pre-manoeuvre elements may overlap. But the
+        overlap is not of an issue as both sets of elements describe the same pre-manoeuvre orbit
+        (with negligible variations).
 
         Returns: Corresponding index in the coefficient list.