  We present new, simple analytical formulas to accurately describe light rays
in spherically symmetric static spacetimes. These formulas extend those
introduced by Beloborodov and refined by Poutanen for the Schwarzschild metric.
Our enhanced formulas are designed to be applicable to a broader range of
spacetimes, making them particularly valuable for describing phenomena around
compact objects like neutron stars and black holes. As an illustration of their
application, we present analytical studies of images of thin accretion disks
surrounding black holes and explore their associated polarimetry.
