DIY Photometer for Night Sky Brightness in Earth & Space Laboratory

Abstract

A photometer is a tool that can be used as a medium for learning, practicum and research to study the quality of the night sky in Astrophysics courses. The photometry practicum provides work principles, tool settings and data collection knowledge. Currently, the Earth and Space Laboratory of the Department of Physics Education has only one photometer. When used, it must be connected to a computer because there is no internal power, and it can not store data. This resulted in the photometry practicum failing to run optimally. Therefore, it is necessary to have the right solution to maintain the essence of practicum as the basis of knowledge, namely, to make your own photometer called Do It Yourself (DIY). The method used in this study is an experimental method with data collection. Starting with a needs analysis, then the design of the photometer is carried out. This was followed by making a photometer and conducting a limited trial by measuring the Night Sky Brightness (NSB). The results showed that DIY Photometer functionally has a good ability to measure the quality of the night sky. Also can show the same pattern as the measurement results using the manufacturer's SQM-LU so that the DIY Photometer that has been made can be used in photometry practicum activities in Astrophysics courses or other similar subjects.

Keywords

• photometer
• sky quality meter
• night sky brightness