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Solar Astrometry with the Astrolabe of Santiago

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The Sun’s Surface and Subsurface

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Physics ((LNP,volume 599))

Abstract

A report is given on the program of solar astrometry with a Danjon astrolabe, in progress since 1990 at Santiago, Chile. This program was envisaged as a contribution to the improvement of the orbital parameters of the Earth-Moon system and to research an eventual difference between the stellar and the dynamical equinox. However, the most interesting aspect of the results obtained so far concerns the apparent semidiameter of the Sun. More than 2800 homogeneous measurements of the solar radius have been obtained from observations at 30° and 60° zenith distances. The observed semidiameter at both zenith distances shows a systematic variation in time correlated with the solar activity. A significant heliographic latitude dependence of the apparent semidiameter was also disclosed. The solar radius has a maximum value around ±50° heliographiclatitude and two minima around ±25° and ±75°. The amplitude is 0″.07 ± 0″.02.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, 36-D, Santiago, Casilla, Chile

    Fernando Noël

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  1. Fernando Noël
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. OCA/CERGA, Avenue Copernic, 06130, Grasse, France

    Jean Pierre Rozelot

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Noël, F. (2003). Solar Astrometry with the Astrolabe of Santiago. In: Rozelot, J.P. (eds) The Sun’s Surface and Subsurface. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 599. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45755-0_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45755-0_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-44188-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-45755-8

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