science

Whole sky camera

Whole sky camera is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Whole sky camera rather than just read about it. In short: A whole sky camera is a specialized camera used in meteorology and astronomy for capturing a photograph of the entire sky. Another application is that of hemispherical photography to study plant canopy geometry and to calculate near-ground solar radiation.

Key takeaways

Whole sky camera belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Whole sky camera to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Whole sky camera from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A whole sky camera is a specialized camera used in meteorology and astronomy for capturing a photograph of the entire sky. Another application is that of hemispherical photography to study plant canopy geometry and to calculate near-ground solar radiation.

Development Whole sky cameras typically use a fisheye lens that takes in an extremely wide, hemispherical image. Such lenses were originally developed for use in meteorology. However, alternative techniques are based on the photography of a mirror-like hemisphere which are more common. One of the first reported whole sky cameras was based on a series of pictures with lenses inclined to the horizon at an altitude of 45 degrees. With a lens that covers an angular field of 90 degrees, such camera revolves about a vertical axis.

Meteorological applications In meteorological applications, whole sky cameras are used to study cloud cover, the current level of UV radiation, fractional cloud coverage, sky polarization, the computation of cloud base height and wind speed at cloud heights. Other uses include creating time-lapse photography of clouds. Whole sky cameras may be equipped with a sun tracking device to block sunlight which is too bright for the typical dynamic range of photographs. Sun tracking allows for reliable estimates of cloud fractional coverage, including cover in the part of the sky close to the Sun. There are techniques such as HDR which permit the taking of high dynamic range photographs without a sun tracker.

Astronomical applications Whole sky camera also popularly known as an all-sky camera in the astronomical field is used for meteor, fireball, and spacecraft reentry recording and identification. While mostly identical to the meteorological application, the system for astronomical use tends to have a more sensitive night camera and much longer exposure due to the night-use nature of the camera.

Cloud stereoscopy Whole sky cameras in stereo configurations can be used to derive cloud base height and cloud base motion. The first work on this application of photogrammetry was done in 1896.

Images

Notes and references

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Whole sky camera

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Whole sky camera claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Whole sky camera before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Whole sky camera ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Whole sky camera

In research: Whole sky camera appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Whole sky camera in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Whole sky camera is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Meteorological instrumentation and equipment, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Whole sky camera outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Whole sky camera” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Whole sky camera in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Whole sky camera means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Whole sky camera out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Whole sky camera in simple terms?

Why does Whole sky camera matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Whole sky camera?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Whole sky camera.