Technique for Finding the Center of an Image of a Rising or Setting Sun Based on Simulated Images

摘要

A new JPL project requires that the center of the images of a rising or setting Sun be determined with certain accuracy - for example, within 1 km - when the Sun is observed from the International Space Station (ISS). This center-finding technique can be used in applications such as a Sun-Tracker. To meet such needs, a simulation tool was developed for the generation of Sun images observed either on the ground or from space. The new technique enables one to find the center of a Sun image based on simulated images. The technique does not rely on ellipse-fitting to the boundary of a Sun image or other calibration techniques, so the accuracy is not affected by the distortion of Sun images.