Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight
Abstract
Equipment is being developed for the recording and analysis of fluctuations in brightness and color of starlight and daylight, with emphasis on daytime observations. The observations are to provide a possible basis for the study of upper atmospheric conditions from the ground. Eight apertures were calibrated by determining the ratios of the photoelectric signals received from an artificial constant source. A search of daytime sky was made with a photometer having a diaphragm which was made with a photometer having a diaphragm which admitted 0.3 square seconds of arc of sky; no relatively high frequency fluctuations were found. Traces at night of stars having comparable brightness showed much greater fluctuation. Measures on the size of nighttime stellar images indicated that stars have an aureole which is detectable photoelectrical but not visually. About 20 to 30% of the light of a star is not visually noticed. The construction may be possible of isophotes of a stellar tremor disk which relate the radius of the disk to the mean total light contained within an area of the radius. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 25, 1952
- Accession Number
- AD0000066
Entities
People
- J. A. Hynek
Organizations
- Ohio State University