scholarly journals The bows and rings of dawn and dusk

Author(s):  
Gerson Kniphoff da Cruz

Abstract The arcs of dawn and dusk are natural phenomena that define the boundary of the border between day and night. They are associated with the refraction of solar rays at high angles of incidence that converge to project an arc of light onto the back side of the earth's atmosphere. The rings of dawn and dusk, in turn, are associated with rays, also at large angles of incidence, which converge to project the image of the Sun. Arcs and rings become visible by scattering light by clouds or particles suspended in atmospheric air in the region in which they occur. Here we show a model that describes these natural phenomena and report the first-time record image produced in July of this year.

2020 ◽  
Vol 635 ◽  
pp. A156
Author(s):  
K. G. Strassmeier ◽  
I. Ilyin ◽  
E. Keles ◽  
M. Mallonn ◽  
A. Järvinen ◽  
...  

Context. Observations of the Earthshine off the Moon allow for the unique opportunity to measure the large-scale Earth atmosphere. Another opportunity is realized during a total lunar eclipse which, if seen from the Moon, is like a transit of the Earth in front of the Sun. Aims. We thus aim at transmission spectroscopy of an Earth transit by tracing the solar spectrum during the total lunar eclipse of January 21, 2019. Methods. Time series spectra of the Tycho crater were taken with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) at the Large Binocular Telescope in its polarimetric mode in Stokes IQUV at a spectral resolution of 130 000 (0.06 Å). In particular, the spectra cover the red parts of the optical spectrum between 7419–9067 Å. The spectrograph’s exposure meter was used to obtain a light curve of the lunar eclipse. Results. The brightness of the Moon dimmed by 10.m75 during umbral eclipse. We found both branches of the O2 A-band almost completely saturated as well as a strong increase of H2O absorption during totality. A pseudo O2 emission feature remained at a wavelength of 7618 Å, but it is actually only a residual from different P-branch and R-branch absorptions. It nevertheless traces the eclipse. The deep penumbral spectra show significant excess absorption from the Na I 5890-Å doublet, the Ca II infrared triplet around 8600 Å, and the K I line at 7699 Å in addition to several hyper-fine-structure lines of Mn I and even from Ba II. The detections of the latter two elements are likely due to an untypical solar center-to-limb effect rather than Earth’s atmosphere. The absorption in Ca II and K I remained visible throughout umbral eclipse. Our radial velocities trace a wavelength dependent Rossiter-McLaughlin effect of the Earth eclipsing the Sun as seen from the Tycho crater and thereby confirm earlier observations. A small continuum polarization of the O2 A-band of 0.12% during umbral eclipse was detected at 6.3σ. No line polarization of the O2 A-band, or any other spectral-line feature, is detected outside nor inside eclipse. It places an upper limit of ≈0.2% on the degree of line polarization during transmission through Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere.


1910 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 529-550
Author(s):  
John Aitken

The return of Halley's Comet in May of this year gave rise to much speculation as to its possible effects on the earth. As it was expected that the earth would pass through the tail of the comet when the comet passed between us and the sun, many observations were arranged for in order to see if the tail, whatever it was composed of, had any effect on the earth or on its atmosphere. If the tail was composed of matter in any form, gaseous, or fine solid or liquid particles, then it seemed possible to get some evidence of its presence in the atmosphere; or if the tail was composed of electrons, then these would disturb the electrical condition of the atmosphere, and also the magnetic condition of the earth.


1988 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 527-534
Author(s):  
Robert W. Noyes

Space observations offer many advantages for helio- and asteroseismology, due principally to the absence in space of transparency fluctuations, image blurring, and absorption by the Earth's atmosphere, and to the possibility of long-term continuous observations by a single spaceborne instrument. Helioseismology from space has already shown that stars produce a measurable oscillation signal through photometric variations at the micromagnitude level; this leads to the near-term possibility of simple spaceborne instruments for both helio- and asteroseismology. For the Sun, where photon flux is not a serious problem, doppler analyzer instruments also show great promise. A number of space investigations in helio- and asteroseismology presently under definition or development are briefly discussed.


1890 ◽  
Vol 46 (280-285) ◽  
pp. 133-135

It has been long known that the solar spectrum stops abruptly, but not quite suddenly, at the ultra-violet end, and much sooner than the spectra of many terrestrial sources of light. The observations of Cornu, of Hartley, and, quite recently, of Liveing and Dewar, appear to show that the definite absorption to which the very rapid extinction of the solar spectrum is due, has its seat in the earth’s atmosphere, and not in that of the sun; and that, consequently, all ex-terrestrial light should be cut off at the same place in the spectrum.


If we compare two monochromatic photographs of the sun, taken respectively with the H 2 line of calcium and the H a line of hydrogen, we find that dark areas on the hydrogen plate correspond roughly in form with bright areas on the calcium plate. The exquisite details of structure, which on sharply defined H α negatived appear like the delicate tracery of hoar-frost, have no counterpart on H 2 negatives, where the bright clouds of calcium vapour, or flocculi , more nearly resemble cumulus clouds in the earth’s atmosphere. Thus there is no precise agreement in form, though the larger regions occupied by dark hydrogen and bright calcium flocculi usually do not differ greatly in area or general outline. In certain places dark hydrogen seems to be replaced by bright hydrogen, which frequently assumes the for of a narrow ring partially or completely encircling a sun-spot. Brilliantly luminous areas, rapidly changing in form, are often Photographed with H α , usually in the neighbourhood of active spots (see Plate 1, fig. 1). The bright hydrogen flocculi of the quiescent or slowly changing type, and the very bright hydrogen flocculi of the rapidly changing or eruptive type, are commonly found in regions where H 2 or K 2 photographs also show bright calcium flocculi. Moreover, dark calcium flocculi, usually long and slender in form, are of ten shown by H 2 or K 2 plates to correspond in position with exceptionally dark hydrogen flocculi. These dark calcium flocculi have recently been photographed by Deslandres with dispersion suffciently high to isolate the K 3 line. In this way they are found to be much more unmerous and extensive than when photographed with lower dispersion.


1883 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44
Author(s):  
C. Piazzi Smyth

Every spectroscopist is perfectly aware that the group of dark Fraunhofer lines in the Solar Spectrum, known as “ little b,” is composed of the biggest, broadest, most colossal lines in all the brighter part of any and every spectrum depending on Sunlight, whether direct from the Sun or reflected from the earth's atmosphere, the Moon, or any of the planets.


1958 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 534-538
Author(s):  
S. B. Pikelner

Some effects are examined—the probability of penetration of a part of the flow of particles from the sun to the earth's atmosphere, as a consequence of the compression of the plasma—and formation of an electrical current along the motion of the plasma.Apparently, the main results of observations cannot be explained by these effects. But the latter may probably cause some secondary phenomena which could perhaps be discovered by means of special observations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 196-227
Author(s):  
Eelco J. Rohling

This chapter considers solar radiation management, also known as solar geoengineering, which seeks to manipulate Earth’s climate energy balance by reducing the absorption of incoming solar energy. As the chapter explains, this approach spans a class of proposed measures that has been polarizing the community, with some advocating it as an essential means of keeping global warming within acceptable limits, while others see only grave drawbacks and dangers. The chapter describes the two approaches to limiting the absorption of solar energy: measures taken in space, between Earth and the Sun, to reflect or disperse solar radiation before it even hits Earth’s atmosphere; and measures taken in Earth’s atmosphere or at the Earth’s surface to reflect incoming solar radiation. It goes on to discuss the various proposed methods, their potential, and their drawbacks.


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