Sky Quality Meter with Lens - SQM-L

$155.00
Article number: SQM-L
Availability: More on the Way to us
Delivery time: More on the Way to us
  "You've got to kick at the brightness 'til it bleeds starlight."
- with apologies to Bruce Cockburn
Sky Quality Meter-L

An affordable meter for measuring sky brightness for astronomers!

The "Sky Quality Meter - L" measures the brightness of the night sky in magnitudes per square arcsecond.

Unprecedented sensitivity in a handheld meter!

Designed by Dr. Doug Welch and Anthony Tekatch

Uses:

  • Find out how good the night or site REALLY is.
  • Compare the sky brightness at different sites quantitatively.
  • Document the evolution of light pollution in your area.
  • Set planetarium dome illumination to mimic the skies people are likely to experience elsewhere in the city.
  • Monitor sky brightness through the night, night-to-night, and year-to-year.
  • Determine which nights show the greatest promise for finding the 'faintest fuzzies'!
  • Calibrate the effect of sky brightness on qualitative measures such as the Bortle Scale.
  • Investigate how sky brightness correlates with the solar cycle and month-to-month sunspot activity.
  • Help provide local ground truth for future sky brightness prediction with the Clear Sky Clock.
  • CCD users can make a correlation between the SQM reading and when the background reaches some ADC level.

Features:

  • Audible signal while measurement is in progress.
  • Sky brightness displayed in visual magnitudes per square arcsecond.
  • Infrared blocking filter restricts measurement to visual bandpass.
  • Temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit as well as model number and serial number can be displayed with different button press sequence.
  • Precision readings at even the darkest sites.
  • Power-saving features designed in for maximum battery life.
  • Reverse battery protection.

 

Specifications:

  • The Half Width Half Maximum (HWHM) of the angular sensitivity is ~10°. The Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) is then ~20°. The sensitivity to a point source ~19° off-axis is a factor of 10 lower than on-axis. A point source ~20° and ~40° off-axis would register 3.0 and 5.0 magnitudes fainter, respectively. Comparison chart.
  • Operates from 9V battery (included).
  • Size 3.6 x 2.6 x 1.1 in. (92 x 67 x 28mm)
  • Weight 0.31 lb (0.14 kg)
  • Maximum light sampling time: 80 seconds.
  • Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Unihedron supports the goals of the International Dark-Sky Association .

Details: Reports including the SQM: eprints.ucm.es/12262/ Light pollution maps / databases: Useful Light pollution links:

SQM-L tripod adaptor option


Example

This adaptor kit was designed specifically for the SQM-L so that the battery compartment is accessible with the adaptor in place.

The adaptor screws into the back of the SQM-L and allows the meter to be mounted on a tripod with a 1/4-20 thread.

The kit includes one tripod adaptor, 3D-printed plastic, and two longer screws (to replace two short screws already in the meter).

3D part view

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