2-in-1 multi-sensor for AstroLink

Description

🌐 Compact Environment Monitoring Sensor

A compact solution for complex astrophotography monitoring. This sensor provides precise measurements of multiple key parameters that directly impact imaging quality.

📊 Measured Values

• 🌡️ Temperature – essential for automatic focuser compensation
• 💧 Humidity – crucial for dew heater control
• ❄️ Dew Point Temperature – to prevent condensation on optics
• ☁️ Sky Temperature / Cloud Coverage – reliable indicator of sky transparency

🌌 Why Sky Temperature Matters

Although “sky temperature” may sound abstract, it’s a powerful indicator of observing conditions:

• Even under dark skies, high clouds can drastically affect astrophotography while not being obvious to the eye.
• The sensor detects high clouds, haze, fog, and thin cirrus that standard sky brightness meters may miss.

👉 The key metric is the difference between sky temperature and ambient temperature:

• No difference → 100% cloud cover or dense fog
• 20–25°C lower sky temperature → clear skies with excellent transparency

The AstroLink Cloud Coverage Sensor is available in two variants, each designed for different astrophotography needs:

🔭 35° Field of View (FOV)

• ✅ More affordable option
• ✅ Averages sky conditions across a larger portion of the sky
• ⚠️ More sensitive to ground obstacles (trees, buildings, horizon) — once these objects enter the sensor’s FOV, measurements may be affected

🌌 5° Field of View (FOV)

• ✅ Ideal for imaging close to the horizon or near ground obstacles
• ✅ Provides more localized readings of sky conditions
• ⚠️ Does not average a wide sky area
• 💲 Higher cost due to more advanced optics

📌 Choose the version that best suits your observing environment — wide FOV for general conditions or narrow FOV for accurate measurements near the horizon.

⚙️ Technical Data

• 📏 Relative humidity accuracy: ±2%
• 🌡️ Temperature accuracy: ±0.3 °C
• 🌡️ Ambient temperature range: -40 °C to +60 °C
• 🌌 Sky temperature range: -70 °C to over +200 °C
• 🔭 Sky temperature FOV: 35° or 5° (variant dependent)

Here you will find a 3-in-1 multi-sensor integrated with a sky brightness sensor.