Aerosol parameters for night sky brightness modelling estimated from daytime sky images

Abstract

ABSTRACT Atmospheric turbidity is one of the key factors influencing the propagation of artificial light into the environment during cloudless nights. High aerosol loading can reduce the visibility of astronomical objects, and thus information on atmospheric pollution is critical for the prediction of the night sky brightness (NSB) distribution. In particular, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and asymmetry parameter (g) are among the most important aerosol properties influencing the NSB amplitudes. However, these two parameters are rarely available at astronomical sites. Here, we develop a method for AOD and g retrievals from clear-sky radiometry carried out around sunset or sunrise, shortly before or after night-time observation is intended. The method allows for reducing the number of unknowns needed in the processing and interpretation of night sky radiances, and thus provides an efficient tool for gathering input data to present skyglow simulators. The practice of collecting information about aerosols in this way could become a routine part of astronomical observations, much like observing standard stars to obtain extinction coefficients. If the procedure were conducted around sunset and the data were quickly reduced, it could offer an on-the-spot estimate of the NSB for the night ahead. The error analysis is performed using the theoretical model, while taking into account experimental errors of radiance readings. The capability of the method is demonstrated in a field experiment conducted under cloudless conditions.