Articles | Volume 3, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-3-241-2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-3-241-2014
Research article
 | 
10 Dec 2014
Research article |  | 10 Dec 2014

Auroral all-sky camera calibration

F. Sigernes, S. E. Holmen, D. Biles, H. Bjørklund, X. Chen, M. Dyrland, D. A. Lorentzen, L. Baddeley, T. Trondsen, U. Brändström, E. Trondsen, B. Lybekk, J. Moen, S. Chernouss, and C. S. Deehr

Abstract. A two-step procedure to calibrate the spectral sensitivity to visible light of auroral all-sky cameras is outlined. Center pixel response is obtained by the use of a Lambertian surface and a standard 45 W tungsten lamp. Screen brightness is regulated by the distance between the lamp and the screen. All-sky flat-field correction is carried out with a 1 m diameter integrating sphere. A transparent Lexan dome at the exit port of the sphere is used to simulate observing conditions at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO). A certified portable low brightness source from Keo Scientific Ltd was used to test the procedure. Transfer lamp certificates in units of Rayleigh per Ångstrøm (R/Å) are found to be within a relative error of 2%. An all-sky camera flat-field correction method is presented with only 6 required coefficients per channel.

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Short summary
A two-step procedure to calibrate the spectral sensitivity of auroral all-sky (fish-eye) cameras is outlined. First, center pixel response is obtained by the use of a Lambertian surface and a standard tungsten lamp. Second, all-sky flat-field correction is carried out with an integrating sphere.