Lehn Waldemar H, van der Werf Siebren
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3T-5V6, Canada.
Appl Opt. 2005 Sep 20;44(27):5624-36. doi: 10.1364/ao.44.005624.
We trace the history of atmospheric refraction from the ancient Greeks up to the time of Kepler. The concept that the atmosphere could refract light entered Western science in the second century B.C. Ptolemy, 300 years later, produced the first clearly defined atmospheric model, containing air of uniform density up to a sharp upper transition to the ether, at which the refraction occurred. Alhazen and Witelo transmitted his knowledge to medieval Europe. The first accurate measurements were made by Tycho Brahe in the 16th century. Finally, Kepler, who was aware of unusually strong refractions, used the Ptolemaic model to explain the first documented and recognized mirage (the Novaya Zemlya effect).
我们追溯了从古希腊到开普勒时代大气折射的历史。大气能够折射光线这一概念在公元前二世纪进入西方科学领域。300年后，托勒密建立了第一个明确界定的大气模型，该模型包含密度均匀的空气，直至与以太形成急剧的上层过渡，折射就在此处发生。阿尔哈曾和威特洛将他的知识传播到了中世纪的欧洲。16世纪，第谷·布拉赫进行了首次精确测量。最后，开普勒意识到了异常强烈的折射现象，他利用托勒密模型解释了首个有文献记载且得到认可的海市蜃楼现象（新地岛效应）。
