Precise Astronomical Azimuth Determination By Qdaedalus System to the Sun, Moon, and Planets in Daytime Conditions

Lajos Völgyesi1, Gyula Tóth1, Beat Bürki2 and Sébastien Guillaume3, (1)Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Geodesy and Surveying, Budapest, Hungary, (2)ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, (3)La Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud (HEIG-VD), Institute of Territorial Engineering, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
Abstract:
The traditional method of astronomical azimuth determination involves measurements at night to stars (Polaris). QDAEDALUS, developed by the team of the Geodesy and Geodynamics Lab (GGL, led by Prof. M. Rothacher) of ETH Zürich is a unique system combining Total Stations and modern CCD technique. It provides precise astronomical azimuths within 15 minutes of observation time at night. Furthermore, observations in daytime conditions are a challenging requirement in practice of Astro-geodetic azimuth determination. In order to perform daylight measurements, the QDAEDALUS system has been improved by allowing precise azimuth measurements to Sun, Moon, and Planets in daylight conditions by expanding the processing software with precise solar, lunar, and planetary ephemerides. With such functionality the system has a unique capability to measure astronomical azimuths with an accuracy of 0.3-0.5 arcsecs in normal daylight conditions within 20 to 25 minutes of measurement time.
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