Seasons and sky
Horizon Refraction
Direct answer
Horizon Refraction is the especially strong and variable atmospheric bending applied to light from objects near the horizon.
Horizon Refraction raises and distorts low celestial objects.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related
- Inferior Mirage, Green Flash, Astronomical Season, Equinox
Horizon Refraction raises and distorts low celestial objects.
A Sun-Earth orientation for seasonal, atmospheric, tidal, and terrestrial terms.
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The story behind Horizon Refraction
Navigators and surveyors learned to distrust low-altitude sights because refraction becomes unstable near the horizon.
Why Horizon Refraction matters
Horizon Refraction is a major reason observed sunrise, sunset, Moonrise, and Moonset differ from simple geometric horizon crossings.
Horizon Refraction in practice: an example
A strong temperature inversion can produce layered or unusually flattened sunset images.
Where readings of Horizon Refraction go wrong
A common error is to use a standard refraction value as a guarantee of exact apparent rise time at a real, uneven horizon.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Rise, Set, and Twilight Definitions - Official definitions used for sunrise, sunset, refraction, and twilight calculations.
- NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory: Solar Calculator Glossary - NOAA definitions for solar geometry, atmospheric refraction, and civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is horizon refraction?
Horizon Refraction is the especially strong and variable atmospheric bending applied to light from objects near the horizon.
What do people get wrong about horizon refraction?
A common error is to use a standard refraction value as a guarantee of exact apparent rise time at a real, uneven horizon.
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