Technological cooperation with SIELTEC Canarias: SONA, an Automatic Cloudiness Observation System
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A new 640×480 pixel resolution CCD 2-Pi sky camera (SONA: Sistema de Observación Automático de Nubes; Automatic Cloudiness Observation System) has been developed at the Izaña Observatory by the R+D Sieltec Company in collaboration with the IARC.
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SONA camera at Izaña Atmospheric Observatory
Example of images taken in the morning (left), and in the night (right).
Images are automatically sent by FTP and stored in a web-based database every 5 minutes. Algorithms for automatic detection of cloudy sky fraction have been implemented. New derived products such as flow velocity estimation, height and type of clouds are now under development.
This a pilot joint experience of the IARC and the SIELTEC Company. The “SONA” project has received a subvention for its development in 2007 and a second support in 2008 within the Technological Innovation INNOEMPRESA program with funds from the FEDER program, Government of the Canary Islands, and the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce of Spain.
New developments of environment devices are planned in near future in cooperation with SIELTEC.