Alcor-System has recently introduced a Continuous Solar Seeing Measurement System (CSSMS). The idea behind the CSSM is to measure the Sun’s scintillation and compute seeing figure equivalents. It can be combined with all of Alcor-System’s Sky cameras and nighttime seeing monitors.
Turbulence (or seeing) is a great concern when recording images of the sky because it can jeopardize telescope resolution. Recording images during “best seeing” is optimal and to do so, continuous seeing measurement is required to optimize image recording time. Adding to the challenge of turbulence is the fact that getting seeing measurements during the day can be challenging since no star can be used.
The Continuous Solar Seeing Measurement System is a totally sealed system that can overcome all extreme weather conditions and is not sensitive to wind gusts due to its strong design. The system offers watertight connectors for continuous outdoor operation and is made of high-quality alloy colorless anodized aluminum. A photodiode and a green filter 550nm, and very accurate and fast 16-bit ADC performs SUN scintillation measurements and outputs seeing figures expressed in arcsecs.
The software starts measurements automatically when the Sun is above the horizon and there is a clear sky. The CSSMS measures atmospheric seeing conditions in a continuous fashion, so the setup stays outdoors measuring sunlight and its scintillation. Clear skies without clouds is required for the system to work properly.
The link to the computer is USB – HID type (no COM emulation) and offers a very reliable data link. The software runs on a PC Windows 10 platform and displays and saves seeing data through the course of the time.
You can learn more about these Alcor-System Continuous Solar Seeing Measurement System here.
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