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Daytime Sky Quality at El Leoncito, Argentina

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Abstract

We characterize the daytime sky quality in terms of brightness, cloud coverage, and main weather variables at the Carlos Ulrico Cesco station of the Felix Aguilar Astronomical Observatory (OAFA), located in El Leoncito National Park, San Juan, Argentina. We have collected more than 15 years of daily observations from the auxiliary sky brightness detectors of the Mirror Coronagraph for Argentina (MICA, in operations from 1997 to 2012), including daily observing reports. We additionally present data from two meteorological stations operated at the site from 2000 to 2020. We determine the main statistical properties and seasonal variability of daytime sky brightness, clear sky time fraction (CSTF), precipitable water vapor (WV), temperature, humidity, and wind speed, which are relevant for solar, particularly coronal observations.

Our results confirm that El Leoncito is an excellent place to perform daytime astronomical observations. We measure a median sky brightness of 15.8 ppm, estimated at \(526.0\pm 1.0\text{ nm}\) and 6 solar radii from the solar disk center; a median CSTF of 0.7; and a median WV below \(6\text{ mm}\). These values, and those of other relevant weather variables, are comparable to the levels found among the best astronomical observing sites in the world. Due to the extended period of time analyzed and high sampling frequency, the novel data and results presented in this report contribute to the analysis and interpretation of historical sky brightness data and are of great value for the future planning of daytime astronomical instrumentation at El Leoncito.

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Data Availability

This work uses data obtained in the framework of the German Argentinean MICA Project at OAFA, a collaborative effort between IAFE, OAFA, and MPS. For data inquiries contact the authors.

Notes

  1. The Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), see Leibacher (1999).

  2. The final site survey report is available at dkist.nso.edu/site/finalreport.

  3. See www2.hao.ucar.edu/cosmo.

  4. This includes three generations of white-light coronographs, MK-3 (1980 – 1999), MK-4 (1999 – 2013) and COSMO K-Cor (2013-present, see de Wijn et al., 2012).

  5. See exactas.unsj.edu.ar/investigacion/observatorio-astronomico-felix-aguilar-oafa/.

  6. See casleo.conicet.gov.ar/.

  7. See aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/data_display_aod_v3?site=CASLEO&nachal=2&level=1&place_code=10.

  8. Available at observ.pereplet.ru/.

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Acknowledgments

FAI and HC are members of the “Carrera del Investigador Científico” of CONICET. We thank Dr. Fernando López for useful discussions and the algorithm to compute water vapor content; Mr. Gabriel Zucarelli for his help with data processing; and Dr. German Cristiani and the “Instituto de Astrofisica del Espacio” (IAFE) for helping with MICA data collection.

Funding

FAI and HC are members of the “Carrera del Investigador Científico” of CONICET, and supported by projects MSTCAME0008181TC (UTN) and PIP11220200102710CO (CONICET). FAI and FC are supported by The Max Planck Partner Group between the University of Mendoza and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS). CF acknowledges support from CICITCA UNSJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Estudios en Heliofísica de Mendoza, CONICET, Universidad de Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina

    F. A. Iglesias, H. Cremades & F. Cisterna

  2. Observatorio Astronómico Félix Aguilar, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina

    C. Francile & J. Lazarte-Gelmetti

  3. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    L. A. Balmaceda

  4. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Heliophysics Science Division, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA

    L. A. Balmaceda

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  1. F. A. Iglesias
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  4. L. A. Balmaceda
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F.I. wrote the main manuscript text, F.C. processed weather data and prepared Figure 4. F.I., C.F., J.L., H.C. and L.B. collected and analyzed the data. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to F. A. Iglesias.

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Iglesias, F.A., Francile, C., Lazarte-Gelmetti, J. et al. Daytime Sky Quality at El Leoncito, Argentina. Sol Phys 298, 46 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-023-02139-0

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