The Perception of Asymmetrical Brightness of Saturn's Rings as a Result of Eye Position

Details The Perception of Asymmetrical Brightness of Saturn's Rings as a Result of Eye Position The Perception of Asymmetrical Brightness of Saturn's Rings as a Result of Eye Position

Jan 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007jalpo..49a..50v&link_type=abstract

Journal of the Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers, The Strolling Astronomer (ISSN 0039-2502), Vol. 49, No. 1, p. 50 - 58

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Saturn, Rings, Observations

Scientific paper

The bicolored aspect of Saturn's rings has been observed often since Walter Haas drew attention to it in 1949. Previous studies have shown that the perception of the relative brightness of the ansae of Saturn's rings varies with the position of the optic axis of the eye with respect to the optic axis of the telescope. In the present study, subjects were coached in the observation of the relative brightness of the two ansae of Saturn's rings, using equipment and technique designed to differentiate between vignetting and the Stiles-Crawford effect as the eye deviated from the optic axis in directions perpendicular to it. Twelve of the 15 subjects perceived an effect of eye position on the relative brightnesses of the ansae. Of the 29 descriptions by the subjects of their perceptions, 6 can best be explained by unrecognized vignetting, 12 by the Stiles-Crawford effect, while 11 showed no asymmetry. In every subject in whom vignetting occured, the asymmetry was slight, and the subject was sure that no vignetting was occurring. In three subjects, the Stiles-Crawford effect was described as dramatic. Applying these results to the classical bicolored aspect, it appears that vignetting may be the cause in some observations, but that the Stiles-Crawford effect accounts for the phenomenon better and completely.

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