Abstract
The paper presents the calibration activity on the imaging system of the MINLU instrument, an autonomous sensor suite designed for monitoring light pollution using commercial off-the-shelf components. The system is extremely compact and with an overall mass below 3 kg can be easily installed as a payload for drones or sounding balloons. Drones and air balloons can in fact play an important role in completing upward light emission measurement from satellites allowing an increased spatial and time resolution from convenient altitudes and positions. The proposed system can efficiently measure the luminous intensity and the spectral power density of on-ground emissions providing a useful tool to identify polluting sources and to quantify upward light flux. The metrological performance of the imaging system has been verified through an extensive laboratory test activity using referenced light sources: the overall uncertainty of the multi-luminance meter has been calculated to be 7% of the reading, while the multi-spectrometer has shown a full width at half maximum (FWHM) equal to 10 nm within the measuring range between 400 nm and 700 nm. When operating at an altitude of 200 m, the system can achieve a horizontal resolution at a ground level of 0.12 m with a wavelength resolution able to identify the different lamp technology of outdoor light sources, including light-emitting diode (LED) lights that are undetected by satellites.
Highlights
In recent decades, both the growth of wellbeing and the increasing request of safety, along with technological improvements in light sources, in particular in the luminous efficiency of light-emitting diode (LED) [1], has driven the request of new lighting systems along motorized roads, cycle tracks, pedestrian zones, roads parking lots, and working places [2]
When operating at an altitude of 200 m, the system can achieve a horizontal resolution at a ground level of 0.12 m with a wavelength resolution able to identify the different lamp technology of outdoor light sources, including light-emitting diode (LED) lights that are undetected by satellites
It was proven that being exposed for a long time at night to artificial light has a significant effect on the environment, wildlife, and society; it disturbs human health and sleeping rhythms [9,10]
Summary
Both the growth of wellbeing and the increasing request of safety, along with technological improvements in light sources, in particular in the luminous efficiency of LEDs [1], has driven the request of new lighting systems along motorized roads, cycle tracks, pedestrian zones, roads parking lots, and working places [2]. Part of the light directly emitted by outdoor sources and part of the light reflected by lit objects go towards the sky. The artificially lit night has several negative effects on the environment, on plants, on animals and on people [6], with the most evident consequence in the loss of visible stars due to contrast reduction [7]. Light polluted skies are seen by more than 80% of people in the word, and they prevent more than one third of the world population from admiring the Milky Way, our Galaxy [8]. It was proven that being exposed for a long time at night to artificial light has a significant effect on the environment, wildlife, and society; it disturbs human health and sleeping rhythms [9,10]
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