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personal equation

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 434 words | Copyright

personal equation The systematic bias of an observer when making measurements. For example, when timing a lunar occultation, there will always be a certain delay between seeing the event and making the timing. In variable-star observing, the observer may consistently underestimate bright stars by a fixed amount. A personal equation can be calculated for individual observers and applied as a correction factor to their observations.

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