| Name: | Sandeep Godiyal |
| Affiliation: | Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai |
| Conference ID : | ASI2023_420 |
| Title : | Measurement of Night Sky Background at MACE site in Hanle, Ladakh |
| Authors : | S Godiyal, B B Singh, K K Singh, R Thubstan, S Norlha, N Chouhan, K K Yadav
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| Mode of Presentation: | Poster |
| Abstract Category : | Instrumentation and Techniques |
| Abstract : | The MACE (Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment) gamma-ray telescope has started its regular science observations at Hanle in the UT of Ladakh. Equipped with a 21m diameter quasi-parabolic reflector, MACE belongs to the class of extremely large gamma-ray telescopes in the world. Performance of such telescopes strongly depends on the altitude of site and intensity of night sky background or light of night sky. Their data acquisition is highly affected by the accidental triggers caused by photons of night sky background which are collected by the large optical reflector of the telescope. Night sky background is the diffuse light from moonless night sky and accounts for the contributions from starlight, air-glow, zodiacal light and ambient light from the surroundings. In this contribution, we present results from the recent brightness measurements performed at Hanle in Ladakh at an altitude of ~4.3 km above sea level in the wavelength range 200-750 nm using Unihedron made sky quality meter. These measurements have been carried out over a period of six months during every moonless night at different zenith angles and in all four geographical directions. We observe that the current level of night sky background has significantly increased in two decades and peaks in the zenith angle range of 40˚- 70˚ in all directions. |
