MHB Sun Circumference - A Picture on 04/18/2010

[Vi Nguyen]

I took this picture on 04/18/2010, and I thought that I see the sun circumference. I just wonder can I calculate the physics and mathematics equations to figure out what is it that I am seeing in this picture. I stood from Earth standpoint, and I took this picture at noon time of the day.

 

[skeeter]

What makes a halo around the sun or moon?

 

[I like Serena]

I just wonder can I calculate the physics and mathematics equations to figure out what is it that I am seeing in this picture. I stood from Earth standpoint, and I took this picture at noon time of the day.

For calculations we need some kind of metric reference.

Usually a picture is taken with some kind of ruler in the display at the same distance as the object we're interested in.
Or otherwise an object of known size.
That won't work in this case of course as the sun is a bit too far away for that.
We can compensate if we know the distance of the ruler from the camera.
In this case it would help if those trees at the bottom would actually be inside the picture, and if we know the distances between those trees, and the distance of those trees to the camera.

Alternatively, we can combine the properties of a camera with its pixel resolution into a measurement.
We still need to know these properties then.

Preferably we have both, so can verify we got the correct numbers.

 

[Vi Nguyen]

You are right, I cropped the picture, that is why you can't see clearly the two trees on each side as a reference. The full picture is as show below: