Daily Archives: 27-October-2015

Refraction Error Correction in Sextant Measurements

Refraction is probably the most difficult to understand of all the altitude observation corrections. It is also the most difficult to estimate accurately because it depends so strongly on atmospheric conditions, particularly the rate of temperature variation with altitude (see lapse rate). I will derive in this post a commonly used expression for the refraction correction required for a celestial object with an altitude greater than or equal to 15°. The accuracy of this expression degrades significantly for objects below 15°. Continue reading

Posted in Astronomy, Naval History, Navigation | 3 Comments