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← HistoryWhich systematic error appears in historical astrolabe altitude measurements taken nearing the horizon?
A)Parallax error due to observer altitude
B)Refraction error due to atmospheric bending✓
C)Elliptical error due to instrument tilt
D)Aberration error due to Earth's motion
💡 Explanation
When sighting objects near the horizon, atmospheric refraction occurs because light bends as it travels through layers of air with varying density, causing the object to appear higher than it actually is. Therefore refraction error increases, rather than parallax, or elliptical, which relate to positional shifts.
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