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CH 01 Amplitude

The document discusses refraction and its effects on observing the sun near the horizon. It notes that refraction causes the sun to appear higher in the sky and remain visible after its true position has dropped below the horizon. When the sun's center is on the rational horizon, refraction makes it appear about 32 feet or one diameter above the visible horizon to an observer. Theoretical sunrise and sunset occur when the sun's center crosses the observer's rational horizon, but it will appear about 30.7 feet above the visible horizon at this time due to refraction.

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Vivek Gill
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38 views

CH 01 Amplitude

The document discusses refraction and its effects on observing the sun near the horizon. It notes that refraction causes the sun to appear higher in the sky and remain visible after its true position has dropped below the horizon. When the sun's center is on the rational horizon, refraction makes it appear about 32 feet or one diameter above the visible horizon to an observer. Theoretical sunrise and sunset occur when the sun's center crosses the observer's rational horizon, but it will appear about 30.7 feet above the visible horizon at this time due to refraction.

Uploaded by

Vivek Gill
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 1

AMPLITUDE
Introduction
We have seen the definition of amplitude and also the procedure to
calculate it in earlier chapters. Let us now see when one must go about
actually taking the amplitude of the sun.

Refraction
Since refraction causes celestial bodies to appear elevated in the sky,
they are above the horizon longer than they are otherwise. The mean
diameter of sun and moon is each about 32’.
Let us consider a case when an observer at sea level measures the
altitude of sun’s lower limb when it is just touching the horizon, by a
Sextant (I.E = 0) and HE = 0.

From the above diagram it is evident the apparent altitude of the Sun is
0 while the centre of Sun is one Semi-diameter above the horizon. If
you glance through ‘Altitude Correction Tables 0 - 10 - Sun, Stars,
Planets’ you will notice that total correction for apparent altitude of LL. of
sun is -18.2’

Apparent Altitude = 00 00’

Total Correction = 00 18.2’

 True altitude =  00 18.2’

i.e. The True altitude of Sun’s centre is 18.2’ below the horizon but for
the observer the sun’s centre appears to be about 0016’ above the
horizon.

1
Therefore, when the Sun’s centre is on the rational horizon, the center
will appear to an observer to be about 32’ or one diameter above the
visible horizon due to refraction.
Theoretical Sunrise and Sunset occurs when the Sun’s centre crosses
the observers rational horizon i.e. True altitude is 00 00’. As seen
above at that time the observed position of sun’s centre would be about
14.7’+16’ = 30.7’ above the horizon when viewed from sea level.
(Approx value of Observed altitude is taken as 14.7’ i.e. when the lower
limb is one semi diameter above the horizon)
App alt = 0º 14.7’
Refraction = - 30.9’
= - 16.2
S.D. = + 16.0’
= - .2’
Parallax = + .2’
T. Alt. = 0º 00’ (average S.D of sun has been taken as 16.0)
If a bearing of sun is taken at this instant (when the suns LL is about ½
a diameter above the visible horizon) the measurement of error
becomes simple using the azimuth by amplitude
The compass error can be found by comparing the Compass bearing
with the calculated Azimuth.

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