Some Observations of Refraction at Low Altitudes and of Astronomical Position-line Accuracy

Abstract

No account of the observations described in this paper has previously been published, though they were made nearly eighteen years ago. The author has kindly presented the Institute with all the data he obtained from them and with a detailed description of the investigation. We print here a short account of the observations and of the principal results obtained, which it is felt should go on record.—Ed.Largely as a result of discussions with Dr. Per Collinder of the Swedish Hydrographic Service and Dr. Knut Lundmark, Professor of Astronomy at Lund, the author undertook, between June and August 1934, a series of sextant observations to determine the degree of refraction at low altitudes, the normal accuracy of sights at sea, the accuracy of twilight and night observations and possible elevations of the horizon at noon. 1908 observations were taken during the period.