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← HistoryWhich astronomical effect complicates measuring star positions using a medieval astrolabe at different locations?
A)Atmospheric refraction of starlight✓
B)Axial precession shifting star coordinates
C)Parallax displacement from Earth's orbit
D)Aberration caused by Earth's motion
💡 Explanation
When observing stars at different latitudes on Earth, atmospheric refraction differentially shifts their observed position, as the light passes through varying amounts of atmosphere, complicating measurements. Therefore, refraction becomes a critical error source, overshadowing alternatives such as precession which acts over longer timescales, stellar parallax which requires heliocentric view, or aberration, which involves Earth's velocity.
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