Multi-star calibration in starphotometry

We explored the improvement in starphotometry accuracy using a multi-star Langley calibration in lieu of the more traditional one-star Langley approach. Our goal was a 0.01 calibration-constant repeatability accuracy, at an operational sea-level facility such as our Arctic site at Eureka. Multi-star...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Main Authors: Ivănescu, Liviu, O'Neill, Norman T.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-6111-2023
https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00070754
https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00069086/amt-16-6111-2023.pdf
https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/16/6111/2023/amt-16-6111-2023.pdf
Description
Summary:We explored the improvement in starphotometry accuracy using a multi-star Langley calibration in lieu of the more traditional one-star Langley approach. Our goal was a 0.01 calibration-constant repeatability accuracy, at an operational sea-level facility such as our Arctic site at Eureka. Multi-star calibration errors were systematically smaller than single-star errors and, in the mid-spectrum, approached the 0.01 target for an observing period of 2.5 h. Filtering out coarse-mode (supermicrometre) contributions appears mandatory for improvements. Spectral vignetting, likely linked to significant UV/blue spectrum errors at large air mass, may be due to a limiting field of view and/or sub-optimal telescope collimation. Starphotometer measurements acquired by instruments that have been designed to overcome such effects may improve future star magnitude catalogues and consequently starphotometry accuracy.