What atmospheric phenomenon causes constant shimmering and blurring that hinders precise visual tracking of solar features?
Answer
seeing variations
Even with excellent optical equipment and appropriate solar filters, ground-based observation of the Sun is complicated by distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere. This phenomenon, known as seeing variations, refers to the constant microscopic turbulent distortions in the air between the observer and the Sun. These variations cause the fine details on the solar surface, such as the edges of sunspots, to appear to shimmer, blur, and shift slightly over moments. This lack of perfect sharpness makes obtaining exact, second-by-second coordinates for features difficult, forcing visual observers to rely on plotting an average path rather than precise measurement, which highlights the advantage of space-based assets.
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