Attenuation of direct solar radiation by a perforated plate for on-orbit visible calibration

James C. Bremer; H. John Wood; Guojun Si

doi:10.1117/12.494249

15 November 2000 Attenuation of direct solar radiation by a perforated plate for on-orbit visible calibration

James C. Bremer, H. John Wood, Guojun Si

Proceedings Volume 4135, Earth Observing Systems V; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.494249
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2000, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Attenuated sunlight is a valuable reference for on-board calibration of spacebome instruments that observe reflected sunlight from the earth. Direct viewing of the sun through a perforated plate can provide full aperture, end-to-end calibration. Since the transmissivity of the perforated plate depends only upon its geometry, it is potentially more stable than the diffuse reflectivity of a diffuser plate, particularly when exposed to the space environment. We have observed the sun through a sheet metal plate with a hexagonal array of small holes placed in front of a telescope. A pinhole in the telescope’s focal plane, followed by a spectral filter and a silicon photo-diode, were selected to approximate the IFOV and spectral bands proposed for imagers on future GOES missions. In each observation, the center of the solar image was found to have a smooth, symmetrical maximum, with no significant angular structure due to interference. These observations demonstrated that the perforated plate technique is a promising method for stable, long-term, on-orbit calibration of visible and near IR channels on spacebome optical instruments.

Citation Download Citation

James C. Bremer, H. John Wood, and Guojun Si "Attenuation of direct solar radiation by a perforated plate for on-orbit visible calibration", Proc. SPIE 4135, Earth Observing Systems V, (15 November 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.494249

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available