The Effect of Atmospheric Scattering Upon the Appearance of a Dark Object Against a Sky Background

Abstract

A theoretical investigation has been made of the “ground-glass-plate effect” and the “edge effect” which are associated with the appearance of the dark object seen against a sky background. The problem has been simplified by assuming that the dark object and the observer are placed in an unbounded space filled with an atmosphere having uniform properties at all points. Rectangular and disk-shaped objects have been considered. The dark object produces its effect by intercepting the rays of light which would be transmitted directly to the observer and also rays which would be scattered one or more times between the object and the observer. In computing the distribution of brightness across that part of the field of view occupied by the object, consideration has been given to the rays which would have been transmitted directly to the eye and rays which would have been scattered once between the object and the eye, but not to scattering of a higher order. Equations for computing the brightness in a given direction with respect to the object have been developed.

© 1947 Optical Society of America

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