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Stargazing ✦ December 16th ✦ 6pm-10pm
Stargazing ✦ December 16th ✦ 6pm-10pm

Sky Quality Meter (SQM-L) with Lens

In Stock
$155.00
SKU SQM-L
In Stock!

Finally, an affordable meter for measuring sky brightness for astronomers!  The "Sky Quality Meter" 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:

  • Operates from 9V battery (included).
  • Size 3.8 x 2.4 x 1 in.
  • Maximum light sampling time: 8 0 seconds.
  • Specifications are subject to change without notice.