Solar Light Model 540 MICROTOPS II Sunphotometer
The Solar Light Model 540 MICROTOPS II is a five channel handheld sunphotometer for measuring aerosol optical thickness easily, accurately, and dependably. It measures direct solar radiation at five discrete wavelengths and stores the readings so atmospheric scientists, environmental monitoring teams, and remote sensing groups can take atmospheric measurements in the field with a single pocket sized instrument. Solar Light Company of Glenside, Pennsylvania has long supplied atmospheric instruments for long term global ultraviolet and aerosol studies.
Key Features
- Five-channel measurement: direct solar radiation is measured at five discrete wavelengths
- Aerosol optical thickness (AOT/AOD): a measure of how much light is blocked by particles in the atmosphere, used in air quality, climate, and satellite validation studies
- Handheld, portable design: small and light enough to carry on field campaigns, ship cruises, and remote sites
- Stored readings: measurements are saved on the instrument for later download and analysis
- Simple to use: point the instrument at the sun and it records the measurement with the processing handled by the instrument
- Proven in the field: widely used in research on atmospheric aerosols and water vapor as part of Solar Light atmospheric line of instrumentation
- Part of a family: the Microtops II range includes versions configured for different measurements such as total ozone and water vapor
Typical Applications
- Atmospheric aerosol and haze monitoring
- Validation of satellite aerosol and ozone measurements
- Air quality and climate research
- Field campaigns and remote site measurements
- Education and teaching atmospheric science
- Supplementing fixed sunphotometer networks
Why Choose It
The Solar Light Model 540 gives researchers a cost effective way to measure atmospheric aerosols without installing a fixed station. Its handheld size and simple operation let a single operator gather useful data at many locations.
