IObservingConditionsSkyQuality Property |
Namespace: ASCOM.DeviceInterface
Exception | Condition |
---|---|
PropertyNotImplementedException | If this property is not available. |
NotConnectedException | If the device is not connected and this information is only available when connected. |
Optional property, can throw a PropertyNotImplementedException
Sky quality is typically measured in units of magnitudes per square arc second. A sky quality of 20 magnitudes per square arc second means that the overall sky appears with a brightness equivalent to having 1 magnitude 20 star in each square arc second of sky.
Examples of typical sky quality values were published by Sky and Telescope (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/rate-your-skyglow/) and, in slightly adpated form, are reproduced below:
Sky Quality (mag/arcsec2) | Description |
22.0 | By convention, this is often assumed to be the average brightness of a moonless night sky that's completely free of artificial light pollution. |
21.0 | This is typical for a rural area with a medium-sized city not far away. It's comparable to the glow of the brightest section of the northern Milky Way, from Cygnus through Perseus. |
20.0 | This is typical for the outer suburbs of a major metropolis. The summer Milky Way is readily visible but severely washed out. |
19.0 | Typical for a suburb with widely spaced single-family homes. It's a little brighter than a remote rural site at the end of nautical twilight, when the Sun is 12° below the horizon. |
18.0 | Bright suburb or dark urban neighborhood. It's also a typical zenith skyglow at a rural site when the Moon is full. The Milky Way is invisible, or nearly so. |
17.0 | Typical near the center of a major city. |
13.0 | The zenith skyglow at the end of civil twilight, roughly a half hour after sunset, when the Sun is 6° below the horizon. Venus and Jupiter are easy to see, but bright stars are just beginning to appear. |
7.0 | The zenith skyglow at sunrise or sunset |