Astronomers claim that the reason the celestial bodies don't match theory in such examples is because there is a permanent refraction effect which can do many marvelous things such as
Astronomers do not "claim that the reason the celestial bodies don't match theory" because the atmospheric refraction has been studied for centuries and is part of said theory.
And your
appeal to ridicule with statements like "can do many marvelous things such as" should have no place in a rational debate.
I fail to see why this "permanent refraction effect" is such a mystery to you. Air typically has a refractive index of about 1.00029 at sea level.
Whether the earth is flat or a Globe, light entering the atmosphere from outside is going to be bent slightly downwards.
The amount of bending depends on the incidence angle and an approximate calculation is not difficult.
slow bodies down as they approach the horizon.
"As you can see the stars get significantly closer together as they get closer to the horizon" --Mick West
From the Wikipedia page on Atmospheric Refraction we read:
"Whenever possible, astronomers will schedule their observations around the times of culmination, when celestial objects are highest in the sky."
This should give you an idea of the magnitude of refraction they are claiming.
Mick West's "significantly closer together" is really very small compared to the vast difference in the motion of stars observed and that expected from any flat earth model I've seen.
Yes, it certainly does "give you an idea of the magnitude of refraction they are claiming" and it is very slight except within a fraction of a degree of the horizon.
Please show any FE theory predicting the apparent motion of the stars as close to the horizon as that.
Any theoretical prediction based on uniform movement will likely not manifest in reality, considering all of this "refraction" necessary to salvage the Round Earth Theory.
"All of this 'refraction' "is not "necessary to salvage the Round Earth Theory"! It is a well-known factor that has been known and is simply accounted for by astronomers.
Are you denying that such refraction would occur on your flat earth?