The Gattini Cameras for Optical Sky Brightness Measurements at Dome C, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Moore, A., Aristidi, E., Ashley, M., Briguglio, R., Busso, M., Candidi, M., Everett, J., Kenyon, S., Lawrence, J., Le Roux, B., Luong-Van, D., Phillips, A., Ragazzoni, R., Salinari, P., Storey, J., Taylor, M., Tosti, G., Travouillon, T.
• Other Authors: University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW), Laboratoire Universitaire d'Astrophysique de Nice (LUAN), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (IFSI), National Research Council of Italy, Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau (FIZEAU), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (OAA), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Thirty Metre Telescope
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: CCSD 2007
• Subjects: [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]; Alta; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02480389; https://doi.org/10.1051/eas:2007069

International audience The Gattini cameras are two site testing instruments for the measurement of optical sky brightness, large area cloud cover and auroral detection of the night sky above the high altitude Dome C site in Antarctica. The cameras have been operating since installation in January 2006 and are currently at the end of the first Antarctic winter season. The cameras are transit in nature and are virtually identical, both adopting Apogee Alta CCD detectors. By taking frequent images of the night sky we obtain long term cloud cover statistics, measure the sky background intensity as a function of solar and lunar altitude and phase and directly measure the spatial extent of bright aurora if present and when they occur. The full data set will return in December 2006 however a limited amount of data has been transferred via the Iridium network enabling preliminary data reduction and system evaluation. An update of the project is presented together with preliminary results from data taken since commencement of the winter season.