When we think of evidence presented in court, eyewitness testimony, police reports, or DNA analysis come to mind. But there is a type of expert who is becoming increasingly in demand in the courts: the astronomer. These starry sky professionals are called upon to provide crucial evidence in a number of cases.
The job of an astronomer in court is primarily about the calculation of the positions and illumination of celestial bodies such as the sun and the moon. This information can be critical in a number of situations.
For example, if someone claims that a car accident was caused by the blinding sun, an astronomer can confirm or deny this statement by calculating the position of the sun relative to the road and direction of travel at the time of the accident.
The moon can also play an important role in the evidence presented in court. In fact, astronomers can provide evidence of how bright the moon was on a given night, while the phases of our moon can be used to determine when a specific event occurred.
Despite the accuracy of the information provided by these scientists, however, there are limits to what they can confirm. They cannot determine, for example, whether a person’s eyesight was obstructed by clouds or a reflective window (creating a sort of “legal loophole”), but their expertise is essential to provide a more complete picture of the situation.