Auroral meridian scanning photometer calibration using Jupiter

Abstract

Abstract. Observations of astronomical sources provides information that can significantly enhance the utility of auroral data for scientific studies. Jupiter is used for field cross-calibration of 4 multi-spectral auroral meridian scanning photometers during 2011–15 northern hemisphere winters. Seasonal average optical field-of-view and local orientation estimates are obtained with uncertainties of 0.01° and 0.1° respectively. Estimates of absolute photometric sensitivity are repeatable to roughly 5 % from one month to the next, while the relative response between different wavelength channels is stable to better than 1 %. Astronomical field calibrations and darkroom calibration differences are on the order of 10 %. Atmospheric variability is the primary source of uncertainty; this may be reduced with data from co-located instruments such as all-sky imagers.

Auroral Imaging With Combined Suomi 100 Nanosatellite and Ground‐Based Observations: A Case Study

“…The latitude, longitude function was assumed to be a nonzero constant in the region where the emission was assumed to be nonzero so that the relative magnitudes were $${g}_{630.0\,\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}}/{g}_{557.1\,\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}}/{g}_{427.8\,\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}}=$$0.5/1/0.2. The red to green maximum emission ratio $${g}_{630.0\,\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}}/{g}_{557.1\,\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}}$$ = 0.5/1 = 1/2 is used as an order of magnitude approximation for the estimated ratio (see Qiu et al., 2017; Figure 2, and Jackel et al., 2003; Figure 5) similarly as the used green to blue maximum emission ratio $${g}_{557.1\,\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}}/{g}_{427.8\,\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}}=$$1/0.2 = 5 (see Enell et al., 2012; Figure 6).…”