The stability of radiance measurements taken by the Sky Quality Meter (SQM)was tested under rapidly changing temperature conditions during exposure to a stable lightfield in the laboratory. The reported radiance was found to be negatively correlated withtemperature, but remained within 7% of the initial reported radiance over a temperaturerange of -15 °C to 35 °C, and during temperature changes of -33 °C/h and +70 °C/h.This is smaller than the manufacturer’s quoted unit-to-unit systematic uncertainty of 10%,indicating that the temperature compensation of the SQM is adequate under expected outdoor operating conditions.
References
[1]
Walker, M. The California site survey. Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac. 1970, 82, 672–698.
[2]
Hoag, A.A. City sky glow monitoring at Kitt Peak. Pub. Astron. Soc. Pac. 1973, 85, 503–507.
[3]
Barringer, D.; Walker, C.E.; Pompea, S.M.; Sparks, R.T. Astronomy Meets the Environmental Sciences: Using GLOBE at Night Data. Proceedings of the Earth and Space Science: Making Connections in Education and Public Outreach, Boulder, CO, USA, 31 July–4 August 2010.
[4]
Biggs, J.D.; Fouch, T.; Bilki, F.; Zadnik, M.G. Measuring and mapping the night sky brightness of Perth, Western Australia. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 2012, 421, 1450–1464.
[5]
Pun, C.; So, C. Night-sky brightness monitoring in Hong Kong: A city-wide light pollution assessment. Environ. Monit. Assess. 2012, 184, 2537–2557.
[6]
Kyba, C.C.M.; Wagner, J.M.; Kuechly, H.U.; Walker, C.E.; Elvidge, C.D.; Falchi, F.; Ruhtz, T.; Fischer, J.; H?lker, F. Citizen science provides valuable data for monitoring global night sky luminance. Sci. Rep 2013, doi:10.1038/srep01835.
[7]
Falchi, F. Campaign of sky brightness and extinction measurements using a portable CCD camera. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 2011, 412, 33–48.
[8]
Kyba, C.C.M.; Ruhtz, T.; Fischer, J.; H?lker, F. Cloud coverage acts as an amplifier for ecological light pollution in urban ecosystems. PLoS One 2011, 6, e17307.
[9]
Lolkema, D.; Haaima, M.; den Outer, P.; Spoelstra, H. Effects of Meteorological and Atmospheric Parameters on Night Sky Brightness. Technical Report RIVM #680151002; Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment: Bilthoven, The Netherlands, 2011.
[10]
Müller, A.; Wuchterl, G.; Sarazin, M. Measuring the night sky brightness with the lightmeter. Revista Mexicana de Astronoma y Astrofsica 2011, 41, 46–49.
[11]
Kyba, C.C.M.; Ruhtz, T.; Fischer, J.; H?lker, F. Red is the new black: How the color of urban skyglow varies with cloud cover. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 2012, 425, 701–708.
[12]
?ci??or, T.; Kubala, M.; Kaszowski, W. Light pollution of the mountain areas in Poland. Arch. Environ. Prot. 2012, 38, 59–69.
Puschnig, J.; Posch, T.; Uttenthaler, S. Night sky photometry and spectroscopy performed at the Vienna University Observatory. J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. 2013. in press.
[15]
?ci??or, T. A new astronomical method for determining the brightness of the night sky and its application to study long-term changes in the level of light pollution. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 2013. in press.
[16]
H?lker, F.; Moss, T.; Griefahn, B.; Kloas, W.; Voigt, C.; Henckel, A.; H?nel, A.; Kappeler, P.; V?lker, S.; Schwope, A.; et al. The dark side of light—A transdisciplinary research agenda for light pollution policy. Ecol. Soc. 2010, 15. Available online: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol15/iss4/art13/ (accessed on 11 September 2013).
[17]
Rich, C.; Longcore, T. Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting; Island Press: Washington, DC, USA, 2006.
[18]
Navara, K.J.; Nelson, R.J. The dark side of light at night: Physiological, epidemiological, and ecological consequences. J. Pineal. Res. 2007, 43, 215–224.
[19]
Kyba, C.C.M.; H?lker, F. Do artificially illuminated skies affect biodiversity in nocturnal landscapes? Landsc. Ecol. 2013. in press.
[20]
Moore, M.V.; Pierce, S.M.; Walsh, H.M.; Kvalvik, S.K.; Lim, J.D. Urban light pollution alters the diel vertical migration of Daphnia. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 2000, 27, 779–782.
[21]
Dacke, M.; Nilsson, D.E.; Scholtz, C.H.; Byrne, M.; Warrant, E.J. Insect orientation to polarized moonlight. Nature 2003, 424, 33.
[22]
Kyba, C.C.M.; Ruhtz, T.; Fischer, J.; H?lker, F. Lunar skylight polarization signal polluted by urban lighting. J. Geophys. Res. 2011, 116, D24106.
[23]
Dacke, M.; Baird, E.; Byrne, M.; Scholtz, C.; Warrant, E. Dung beetles use the milky way for orientation. Curr. Biol. 2013, 23, 298–300.
[24]
Cinzano, P. Night Sky Photometry with Sky Quality Meter. Technical Report 9; ISTIL, 2005. v 1.4.
[25]
Den Outer, P.; Lolkema, D.; Haaima, M.; van der Hoff, R.; Spoelstra, H.; Schmidt, W. Intercomparisons of nine sky brightness detectors. Sensors 2011, 11, 9603–9612.