Published July 2016 | Version v1
Journal article

Electronic solar compass for high precision orientation on any planet

  • 1. ENEA, FSN Department, C.P. 65, 00044 Frascati (Italy)

Description

A compact, fully automatic electronic solar compass has been developed at the ENEA Frascati Laboratories. The compass is inspired to ''camera obscura'' sundials like those inside churches. Sun ephemerides are calculated using an approximate but effective analytical solution of Kepler's laws, where the Earth (or other planets) orbit main parameters are introduced. The instrument is light, cheap and it has an accuracy better than 1 arcmin. Some examples of application of the device as well as the possibility to use it on Mars are presented.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/11/07/C07014

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Instrumentation
Journal Volume
11
Journal Issue
07
Journal Page Range
p. C07014
ISSN
1748-0221

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
49005590
Subject category
S46: INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
ACCURACY; ANALYTICAL SOLUTION; CAMERAS; COMPASS DETECTOR; EQUIPMENT; SUN
Descriptors DEC
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS; MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; RADIATION DETECTORS; STARS