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The Effect of Personal Equation on Measurements of the Solar Semi-Diameter by Transit Circle Observers

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Sun and Planetary System

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library ((ASSL,volume 96))

Abstract

Systematic trends in the semi-diameter of the Sun from measurements made with the Cape Observatory transit circle in 1834 and from 1861 to 1871 and 1884 to 1892 (the only years for which raw observations of the solar limbs were available to us) should probably be attributed to large variations in the personal equation of the individual observers rather than to any real variation of the solar diameter.

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References

  • Eddy, J.A. and Boornazian, A.A. 1979: Secular Decrease in the Solar Diameter. Bull. of the Amer. Ast. Soc., vol. 11, no. 2, p. 437.

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  • Smith, C.A. and Messina, D. 1981: The Horizontal and Vertical Semi-diameters of the Sun Observed at the Cape of Good Hope (1834–1887) and Paris (1837–1906): A Report on Work in Progress. NASA Conference Proceedings CP-2191 on “Variations of the Solar Constant, S. Sophia, ed.

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  • Wittman, A. 1980: Tobias Mayer’s Observations of the Sun: Evidence Against a Secular Decrease of the Solar Diameter. Solar Physics, vol. 66, pp. 223–231.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Naval Observatory, USA

    Clayton Smith & Daniel Messina

Authors
  1. Clayton Smith
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  2. Daniel Messina
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Heidelberg, Germany

    W. Fricke

  2. Astronomical Observatory, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

    G. Teleki

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© 1982 D. Reidel Publishing Company

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Smith, C., Messina, D. (1982). The Effect of Personal Equation on Measurements of the Solar Semi-Diameter by Transit Circle Observers. In: Fricke, W., Teleki, G. (eds) Sun and Planetary System. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 96. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7846-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7846-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-7848-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-7846-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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