Measuring sky brightness from the ground
Thanks to photometric sensors, it is possible to precisely measure the quality of the night sky in a given location. Installed over long periods, this type of device enables automatic, continuous field monitoring of light pollution, which is essential for analyzing variations and their causes.
Continuous monitoring of night sky quality
The level of diffuse light pollution at a given location can vary greatly over time, de-pending not only on lighting practices, but also on factors such as the presence of clouds or the passage of the Moon.
To track these variations, we designed the Ninox sensor, an instrument that continu-ously measures the brightness of the night sky over several months or years.
By analyzing the data collected, it is possible to accurately assess light pollution levels according to context, and then calculate the absolute light pollution indicator for the location studied. This indicator, created by DarkSkyLab is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
What data do we work with?
What tools have we developed?
What tools have we developed?
Ninox and NoxiLight, the instrument and software for continuous sky quality measurement
Ninox is a photometric sensor designed to measure sky brightness over long periods, without human intervention or Internet connection.
NoxiLight is the analysis tool for the data collected: it allows you to visualize, night by night, the evolution of zenith luminance at a given location, as well as a range of astro-nomical information (sunset and sunrise, passage of the Moon, position of the Milky Way...).
Our solutions in action
Would you like to find out about concrete examples of application?
We apply our tools and methods to a large number of projects every year.