Astronomical Seeing
Abstract
From the first moments this observer gazed into the night sky with a telescope it was apparent our atmosphere was anything but crystal clear. The Earth's sky is not completely transparent and as stable as we would like it to be. Experienced observers are well aware that turbulent air currents can cause telescopic images to blur or move around in the eyepiece field. We have coined the phrase, "astronomical seeing," to quantify, or put into perspective, the effect the atmosphere has on image quality. Since the Earth's atmosphere acts like a fluid, we may think of it as a very thin body of water. Imagine yourself at the bottom of a clear lake looking up at the Moon! None of this should be a surprise to anyone who has peered through a telescope, even at the Moon. At times the Moon appears like it swimming in water or above a smokestack! This atmosphere making them nearly impossible to study at times effects other Solar System objects even more. Bad seeing can render a night's observing schedule useless, especially for us planet watchers. Even though seeing conditions may improve for brief moments during periods of bad seeing, we should pay attention to weather reports. Just because a weather forecast calls for clear sky that does not mean the atmosphere will be good for observing. First, a look at the composition of our atmosphere, the effects the upper atmosphere has on "seeing," and a study of micrometeorology will help readers understand these effects near to the ground.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA391637
Entities
People
- Jeff Beish