Next message: Mike Hannibal: "Re: Interstellar distance"
On Sep 12, 2005, at 3:46 PM, Bill wrote:
>> Bill has offered some code to do the job, but perhaps Mike wishes to
>> understand the problem and how to solve it, rather than paste in
>> another's
>> code.
>>
>> My first word of advice, to Mike and to many other listmembers, is to
>> acquire a copy of "Astronomical Algorithms", by Jean Meeus.
>
> George
>
> Thanks for the thorough coverage, and the correct spelling of Meeus.
> My
> spreadsheet did not attempt to deal with Sun or moon angular
> separation from
> bodies. I tended to use the moon and Franks lunars to determine
> sun/moon,
> moon/star distances. Not yet good enough to do Sun/star shots ;-)
>
> Therefore, your latest posting was of great interest to me, and starts
> to
> give me a handle on dealing with the Sun and moon separation angles.
> Thanks
> again.
>
> I did send along some of the background used in constructing the
> spreadsheet
> to Mike et al, which included Meeus formulas, as well as text captures
> of
> postings by you and Frank some time back on the subject including
> formulas.
> As you have pointed out, there are several ways to skin that cat, and
> my
> spreadsheet addresses only one of them.
>
> Bill
>
>
Bill,
Your spreadsheet may be able to handle the star-star distances without
much difficulty. It's just that the "moon" (and "sun") would have zero
semi-diameter and parallax. The refraction is the same regardless of
body (unless the extra step of adjusting the refraction for
semi-diameter is undertaken, but here, again, the zero semi-diameter
should account for that).
Fred
