Description
☁️ Sky Temperature Sensor – Cloud & Transparency Detection
The sky temperature sensor is a practical tool for monitoring observing conditions, helping you determine when the sky is truly suitable for astrophotography.
🌌 Why Sky Temperature?
Although it may sound abstract, sky temperature is an excellent indicator of sky clarity:
- Even under dark skies, high clouds can dramatically reduce image quality while the background meter may still show low values.
- This sensor detects high clouds, thin layers, fog, haze, and other atmospheric obstacles that affect transparency.
🔎 How It Works
- Measured value: Sky temperature
- Informative value: The difference between sky and ambient temperature
- 🔴 No difference → 100% clouds or dense fog
- 🟢 20–25 °C or more → clear sky with high transparency
🔭 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.
🌡️ Additional Use
This sensor can also serve as a non-contact thermometer, ideal for measuring the temperature of walls, radiators, floors, or other surfaces.
⚙️ Technical Data
- 🌡️ Ambient temperature range: -40 °C … +50 °C
- ☁️ Sky temperature range: -70 °C … over +200 °C
- 🔭 Field of view: 35° or 5° (variant dependent)
👉 Consider also purchasing our multi sensors:
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