The effect of space flight on a camera len

Dizon, Joel M

English

CommonKnowledge

Pacific University 
CommonKnowledge 
College of Optometry Theses, Dissertations and Capstone Projects 
5-17-1992 
The effect of space flight on a camera lens 
Joel M. Dizon 
Pacific University 
Recommended Citation 
Dizon, Joel M., "The effect of space flight on a camera lens" (1992). College of Optometry. 952. 
https://commons.pacificu.edu/opt/952 
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The effect of space flight on a camera lens 
Abstract 
The effect of space flight on a camera lens 
Degree Type 
Thesis 
Degree Name 
Master of Science in Vision Science 
Committee Chair 
Dr. Jurgen R. Meyer-Arendt 
Subject Categories 
Optometry 
This thesis is available at CommonKnowledge: https://commons.pacificu.edu/opt/952 
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THE EFFECT OF 
SPACE FLiGHT ON A 
CAf"lERA LEr~S 
By 
JOEL !'"1. DIZON 
A thesis submitted to the faculty of the 
College of Optometry 
Pacific University 
Forest GroveJ Oregon 
for the degree of 
Doctor of Optometry 
May 17, 1992 
AdvJsor. 
DR. JURGn~ R. r--1EYER-AREt~DT 
THE EFFECT OF 
SPACE FLIGHT ON A 
CAMERA LENS 
c 
A.dvisor 
Joe 1 r1 D1zon graduated cum laude from the University of' Guam with 
a B A degree m Biology and a minor in Chemistry in 1987. He receives his 
0 D from tr1e Paclfic University Co11ege of Optometry in May of 1992. 
Some or the honors he has rece1ved are Outstandmg Young Men of America, 
Wt1o ~. Wl10 .Among Student~, m American Universities and Colleges, Society 
of D1stmgu1shed Young 11en of America and the Dean's Llst. Scholarships 
ne has received are the Guam Merit Scholarship and the Guam Professional-
Tecrlnlcal Scholarsr11P. 
Upon graduation. Joel plans to start up his own practice in Guam, 
wt1ere optometrists are far and few. He also hopes to do sorne visual 
tr'aining. whicr, would be a first for the island. 
') 
..... 
INTRODUCTION: 
In 1817, J.A Fresnel predicted that ligr1t was partially dragged 
along t1y a moving medium He derived a formula based on this effect 
using ether as the medium. F1zeau confirmed this "drag" effect in 1851 
usmg water as his medium. According to Fresnel's experimental results, 
tr1e f 1 ow of water affects the ve 1 oci ty of 1 ight by a factor ca 11 ed Fresnel's 
drag coefficient This drag coefficient is a fraction of the velocity 
of tr1e medium. From Fresnel's drag formula, it follows tr1at the 
refractive index of matter moving toward a light source increases 
Consequently. the focal length of a lens is also changed This change in 
focal lengtt1 may have an effect on the focusing of an on-board camera 
m a soacesrli p 
Recent space proL-,es to Jupiter and Neptune reach velocit1es 
of atJout 30 k 11 orneters per second when escap mg from the Earth's 
orolt Ttler·f 1s an upcoming r-1ars Observer rn1ss1on bemg planned 
m 1992 to re-photograph the Cydonia region of f1ars. mcluding rock 
forrnatJOns resemt>ling a face and the pyramids. Therefore, it is of 
practlcal and tJ1eoret1cal mterest to determine whether such space 
or·obe velocJt1es would have an effect on the focusing of an on-board 
canwr·a 
3 
PROCEDURE: 
A computer program using Microsoft OuickBASIC was devised 
using a Macintosh computer. A person ca 11 i ng up the program simp 1 y 
follows the instructions provided. He must input three important 
,jata, the index of refraction of the camera len.s, the focal length of 
the lens, and the velocity of the spacecraft. 
The numbers are then run through the program which includes 
the lensmak.ers equation and Fresnel's drag formula. The output will 
show the change in focal length in millimeters. A change in focal 
length of at least 0 . 1 millimeters, (several wavelengths of yellow 
sodJUm lighU, would be considered a sign i ficant change which may 
cause a def ocuss mg effect. 
The program write-up 1s founa on the fo11owinq paqe A more 
~ ~ ~ 
exact equatwn would Include the angle of incidence of light, the 
refracted ray of 11ght, and the height at which the light comes into 
co11tact wltn the lens. A manually, calculated format is shown on pages 7 
and 8 
PRINT "Welcome to· The Effect of Space Flight on .. 
PRINT "a Camera Lens·. Please type in the index of .. 
PRINT "refraction. N=" 
INPUT N 
PRINT .. Now type in the focal length of the lens tn meters." 
PRINT "F=" 
INPUT F 
REM 
REM 
REM (L ensmaf~ers Equation) 
LET P= 1 IF 
LET R= (N -1 )/P 
REM 
REM r,, c.Jor-ih l of 11· rtt~t) '\'\.· I .... . '-·Y ~ I' 
REM 
PRINT .. Y.'r1at is the velocity of your spacecraft? (Jn meters/seer 
PRINT "W=" 
INPUT W 
REM 
REM 
REM 
REM *Fresnel's Drag Formula* 
LET V= (c/N) 
LET X= W-(W /N~2) 
LET Z= V+X 
REM 
REM 
REM 
REM (M=new index of refract ion) 
LET M= I" ! 7 I ~.; L 
REM (G=new lens powe;) 
LET r:,= rM-1 '*R~- 1 "'-' \.1 I f ' 
REM ( 1--! ="'c.,. , foe~ 1 len,..,t~.h) .I! I i '\,.. \1\ I . . (.o j •• j ~ ·!I, 
LET 1-1= {;' -1 It ..._.. I 
LET D= (f-!-F )* 1 000 
REM (D= change of f oca 1 1 ength in mm) 
REM 
REM 
PRINT · The change in f oca 1 length is" 
PRINT D "millimeters." 
LCOPY 
END 
RESULTS: 
The manually) calculated program shows a change in focal 
length of 0.25944000mm. The computer program shows a simi Jar 
focal length change of 0.2603531 mm. The following pages include 
data from both pro~wams . 
Tr--,e followmg numbers were used 
focal length= 1 OOOmm or 1 meter 
mdex of refraction= 1 6000 
ili? J gr~t of mc1dent l1gt1t on lens= SOmm 
ve !ocity of spacecraft= 30 km/s 
6 
Data f= 1 OOOmm ( 1 meter) 
n= 1.6000 
R2= infinity 
rt= 50 mm 
P= l /(=in- 1 )[( 1 /R 1)- ( 1 /R2)] *LENSMAKERS EQUATION* 
1; 1 = ( 1 6000- 1.00)[( 1 /R 1)- ( 1 /infmity)] 
P 1 = 0.600CJ m 
sm i = h/P l = 50rnm/600mm = 478019185 degrees 
l'=sm·-1 [(S0/600)/ 16000)]=2.98550601 degrees 
U= I - i · = 1. 79468584 degrees 
tan U =h/L 
L = h/tan U = 50/ tan 1. 79468584 
L= 1595.740002 mm 
v= c/n + w( 1 - 1/n~2) *FRESNEL'S DRAG FORMULA* 
v= (299792458/ 1.6)+ 30000( 1 - 1 I 1.6~2) 
v= 187388567.5 m/s 
n· = c/v = 299792458/ 18738856 7.5 = 1.59984391 
1 = sin·-1 [(50/600) I 1.59984391] = 2.98579755 degrees 
u· = I - I" = 1. 79439430 degrees 
L' =SO/ tan lJ = 1595.999442 mm 
a e l t a L = L · - L = 0. 2 59 440 00 m m 
f= focal length of camera lens 
n= mdex of refraction of lens 
n'= new index of refraction of lens 
R 1 & R2= radii of curvature of lens 
h= height of incidence light on lens 
I= angle of incidence 
I'= refracted rav 
' I"= new angle of refraction 
7 
U= slope angle 
U'= new slope angle 
v= velocity of light in moving medium 
c= ve 1 oc lty of 1 i gr1t in vacuum 
w= ve 1 ocity of spacecraft 
L= focal length 
L'= new focal length 
8 
s File Edit IGGI 
THESIS 
·'elcorne to · Tr-,e Effect of ~pace Fliq~lt on 
Cernera Lens· . Please t4pe in u-,e inde>-~ of 
·efraction. N= 
1.60000 
.. 
1-Jt 
.. 
~ov·,·· twpe in Hte foe a 1 l enqu-, of H1e 1 ens in meter-s . 
- ~ 
= 
i .0000 
,.-.n-,at i:::; U"te velocit!:J of !:JOUr spececreft? (ln rneters/sec) 
,._ 
30000 
-t-,e c:r·, ange i n f oc:a 1 1 engU1 i ~ . 
. 2603531 rnillirneter::; _ 
.., 
9:15:49 PM 
DISCUSSION: 
From the results shown, there indeed is a defocussing effect. 
However, it applies only when two frames of reference exist. One frame, 
(the observer), cannot be in the same frame of reference as the moving 
frame, (the camera) The comparison of velocities is essential in 
relatlvlstlc optics For example, when an optical system such as a 
telescope or a microscope 1s on board of a spacecraft moving at high 
speerJ, notr,i ng changes The system stays in focus Just as before. It is 
oniy wr1er, u-,e system is v1ewed from an observer not traveling along 
w 1 tr1 1t, that the focus cr,anges. ! t is a matter of two frames of reference, 
t!1e movmg frame in wr11Ch the instrument travels and another frame, 
tr,at of tne observer. It 1s the relative velocity between the two frames 
rnat 1s Jmportant It would only apply if the spacecraft is in flight and 
tne pnotogr·apner takes tr1e pictures from the ground. 
The cornputer1zed program is correct. In Fizeau's experiment, there 
are two motions; the flow of water in one direction and the flow in the 
opposlte dlrection. This experiment is the basis for Fresnel's drag 
formula. 
10 
REFERENCES: 
l . l"leyer- Arendt JR I ntroauct ion to C 1 ass 1 cal ana l"'lodern 
Opt1cs, Sec on a Edl t ion New Jersey. Prentice-Hall 1 nc, 
1984 
_ ResniC!< R. lntr-oductlOn to Special Relativity . New York, 
London,Sydney John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1968. 
3 R1ndler W Introduction to Soec1al RelatlVitv. Oxford 
' ' 
Clarendon Press, 1982. 
4. Ugarov VA Specia 1 Theory of Re 1 ativi ty . Moscow: Ml R 
Publishers, 1979. 
11 


The effect of space flight on a camera lens

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The effect of space flight on a camera lens

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