Articles | Volume 16, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-6111-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-6111-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
22 Dec 2023
Research article |
| 22 Dec 2023
| 22 Dec 2023
Multi-star calibration in starphotometry
Liviu Ivănescu
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Département de géomatique appliquée, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
Norman T. O'Neill
Département de géomatique appliquée, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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Starphotometry seeks to provide accurate measures of nocturnal optical depth (OD). It is driven by a need to characterize aerosols and their radiative forcing effects during a very data-sparse period. A sub-0.01 OD error is required to adequately characterize key aerosol parameters. We found approaches for sufficiently mitigating errors to achieve the 0.01 standard. This renders starphotometry the equal of daytime techniques and opens the door to exploiting its distinct star-pointing advantages.
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Short summary
The starphotometers' complex infrastructure prohibits calibration campaigns. On-site calibration procedures appear as the only practical solution. A multi-star approach overcomes site-specific sky transparency stability problems. Star selection strategies were proposed for mitigating some sources of errors. Data processing strategies and instrument design improvements appear necessary.
The starphotometers' complex infrastructure prohibits calibration campaigns. On-site calibration...
