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Positional Astronomy BR Refraction
Positional Astronomy BR Refraction
Positional Astronomy BR Refraction
1 of 3
http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/webnotes/chapt11.htm
Positional Astronomy:
Refraction
{Note: If your browser does not distinguish between "a,b" and ", " (the Greek letters "alpha, beta") then I am afraid you will not be able to make much sense of the equations on this page.}
The apparent position of an object in the sky may be changed by several different physical effects.
One of these is refraction.
The speed of light changes as it passes through a medium such as air.
We define the refractive index of any transparent medium as 1/v,
where v is the speed of light in that medium.
The speed of light in air depends on its temperature and its pressure,
so the refractive index of the air varies in different parts of the atmosphere.
Make a simple model of the atmosphere as n layers of uniform air above a flat Earth,
with a different velocity of light vi for each layer (i from 1 to n).
Apply Snell's Law of Refraction at each boundary.
At the first boundary, sin(i1) / sin(r1) = v0 / v1 .
At the next boundary, sin(i2) / sin(r2) = v1 / v2 , and so on.
But, by simple geometry, r1 = i2, r2 = i3 and so on.
So we have
sin(i1) = (v0 / v1) sin(r1)
= (v0 / v1) sin(i2)
= (v0 / v1) (v1 / v2) sin(r2)
= (v0 / v2) sin(r2)
= ..........
= (v0 / vn) sin(rn)
In other words, the refractive indices of the intervening layers all cancel out.
The only thing that matters is the ratio between v0
(which is c, the speed of light in vacuum)
and vn (the speed in the air at ground level).
Now rn is the apparent zenith distance of the star, z',
and i1 is its true zenith distance, z.
So sin(z) = (v0 / vn) sin(z').
Refraction has no effect if a star is at the zenith (z=0).
But at any other position, the star is apparently raised; the effect is greatest at the horizon.
Define the angle of refraction R by R = z - z'.
Rearrange this as z = R + z'.
3.12.2016 17:10
2 of 3
http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/webnotes/chapt11.htm
Exercise:
A star is at Right Ascension 5h 0m and declination +2620'.
The latitude is +5620'.
Local Sidereal Time is 5h 0m.
Atmospheric pressure is 1050 millibars,
and the temperature is +5C.
What is the stars true altitude?
How much will the stars image be shifted by atmospheric refraction,
and in which direction?
What will be the stars Right Ascension and declination,
corrected for refraction?
Click here for the answer.
3.12.2016 17:10
3 of 3
http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/webnotes/chapt11.htm
3.12.2016 17:10