UBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory
Abstract Photoelectric observations of night sky brightness (NSB) at different zenith distances and azimuths, covering all the sky, at the Egyptian Kottamia Astronomical observatory (KAO) site of coordinates ϕ = 29° 55.9′ N and λ = 31° 49.5′ E, were done using a fully automated photoelectric photome...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-10-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43844-x |
| _version_ | 1797559695442968576 |
|---|---|
| author | Mohamed F. Aboushelib A. B. Morcos S. Nawar O. M. Shalabiea Z. Awad |
| author_facet | Mohamed F. Aboushelib A. B. Morcos S. Nawar O. M. Shalabiea Z. Awad |
| author_sort | Mohamed F. Aboushelib |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Photoelectric observations of night sky brightness (NSB) at different zenith distances and azimuths, covering all the sky, at the Egyptian Kottamia Astronomical observatory (KAO) site of coordinates ϕ = 29° 55.9′ N and λ = 31° 49.5′ E, were done using a fully automated photoelectric photometer (FAPP). The Bessel wide range system (UBVRI) is used for the first time to observe NSB for three consecutive nights (1–3 August, 2022) under good seeing conditions after the moon sets. The deduced results were taken in photons and converted into mag/arcsec2. The average zenith sky brightness for U, B, V, R and I filters are found to be 20.49, 20.38, 19.41, 18.60 and 17.94 mag/arcsec2 respectively. The average color indices (U–B), (B–V), (V–R) and (R–I), at the zenith are detected to be 0.11, 0.98, 0.81 and 0.66, respectively. We plotted the isophotes of the sky brightness at KAO in U, B, V, R and I colors (filters) and determined both the average atmospheric extinction and sky transparency through these UBVRI filters. The atmospheric and other meteorological conditions were taken into our consideration during the observational nights. The results of the current study illustrate the main impact of the new cities built around KAO on the sky glow over it, and which astronomical observations are affected. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:48:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-82cd9943ff9b45caadc80387f390a796 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:48:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-82cd9943ff9b45caadc80387f390a7962023-11-20T09:25:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-10-0113111110.1038/s41598-023-43844-xUBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical ObservatoryMohamed F. Aboushelib0A. B. Morcos1S. Nawar2O. M. Shalabiea3Z. Awad4National Research Institute of Astronomy and GeophysicsNational Research Institute of Astronomy and GeophysicsNational Research Institute of Astronomy and GeophysicsAstronomy, Space Science and Meteorology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo UniversityAstronomy, Space Science and Meteorology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo UniversityAbstract Photoelectric observations of night sky brightness (NSB) at different zenith distances and azimuths, covering all the sky, at the Egyptian Kottamia Astronomical observatory (KAO) site of coordinates ϕ = 29° 55.9′ N and λ = 31° 49.5′ E, were done using a fully automated photoelectric photometer (FAPP). The Bessel wide range system (UBVRI) is used for the first time to observe NSB for three consecutive nights (1–3 August, 2022) under good seeing conditions after the moon sets. The deduced results were taken in photons and converted into mag/arcsec2. The average zenith sky brightness for U, B, V, R and I filters are found to be 20.49, 20.38, 19.41, 18.60 and 17.94 mag/arcsec2 respectively. The average color indices (U–B), (B–V), (V–R) and (R–I), at the zenith are detected to be 0.11, 0.98, 0.81 and 0.66, respectively. We plotted the isophotes of the sky brightness at KAO in U, B, V, R and I colors (filters) and determined both the average atmospheric extinction and sky transparency through these UBVRI filters. The atmospheric and other meteorological conditions were taken into our consideration during the observational nights. The results of the current study illustrate the main impact of the new cities built around KAO on the sky glow over it, and which astronomical observations are affected.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43844-x |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed F. Aboushelib A. B. Morcos S. Nawar O. M. Shalabiea Z. Awad UBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory Scientific Reports |
| title | UBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory |
| title_full | UBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory |
| title_fullStr | UBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory |
| title_full_unstemmed | UBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory |
| title_short | UBVRI night sky brightness at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory |
| title_sort | ubvri night sky brightness at kottamia astronomical observatory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43844-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mohamedfaboushelib ubvrinightskybrightnessatkottamiaastronomicalobservatory AT abmorcos ubvrinightskybrightnessatkottamiaastronomicalobservatory AT snawar ubvrinightskybrightnessatkottamiaastronomicalobservatory AT omshalabiea ubvrinightskybrightnessatkottamiaastronomicalobservatory AT zawad ubvrinightskybrightnessatkottamiaastronomicalobservatory |