Cloud Detection using Night Sky Background Light at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Collaboration,
A. Abdul Halim,
P. Abreu,
M. Aglietta,
I. Allekotte,
K. Almeida Cheminant,
A. Almela, R. Aloisio, J. Alvarez-Muñiz, A. Ambrosone, J. Ammerman Yebra, G.A. Anastasi, L.A. Anchordoqui, B. Andrada, L. Andrade Dourado, S. Andringa, L. Apollonio, C. Aramo, E. Arnone, J.C. Arteaga Velazquez, P. Assis, G. Avila, E. Avocone, A. Bakalova, F. Barbato, A. Bartz Mocellin, J.A. Bellido, C. Berat, M.E. Bertaina, M. Bianciotto, P.L. Biermann, V. Binet, K. Bismark, T. Bister, J. Biteau, J. Blazek, J. Blümer, M. Bohacova, D. Boncioli, C. Bonifazi, L. Bonneau Arbeletche, N. Borodai, J. Brack, P.G. Brichetto Orchera, F.L. Briechle, A. Bueno, S. Buitink, M. Buscemi, M. Büsken, A. Bwembya, K.S. Caballero-Mora, S. Cabana-Freire, L. Caccianiga, F. Campuzano, J. Caraça-Valente, R. Caruso, A. Castellina, F. Catalani, G. Cataldi, L. Cazon, M. Cerda, B. Čermáková, A. Cermenati, J.A. Chinellato, J. Chudoba, L. Chytka, R.W. Clay, A. Cobos Cerutti, R. Colalillo, R. Conceição, G. Consolati, M. Conte, F. Convenga, D. Correia dos Santos, P.J. Costa, C. Covault, M. Cristinziani, C.S. Cruz Sanchez, S. Dasso, K. Daumiller, B.R. Dawson, R.M. de Almeida, E.T. de Boone, B. de Errico, J. de Jesús, S.J. de Jong, J. de Mello Neto, I. De Mitri, J. de Oliveira, D. de Oliveira Franco, F. de Palma, V. de Souza, E. De Vito, A. Del Popolo, O. Deligny, N. Denner, L. Deval, A. di Matteo, C. Dobrigkeit, J.C. D'Olivo, L.M. Domingues Mendes, Q. Dorosti, J. dos Anjos, R.C. dos Anjos, J. Ebr, F.H. Ellwanger, R. Engel, I. Epicoco, M. Erdmann, A. Etchegoyen, C. Evoli, H. Falcke, G.R. Farrar, A. Fauth, T. Fehler, F. Feldbusch, A. Fernandes, M. Fernandez, B. Fick, J.M. Figueira, P. Filip, A. Filipcic, T. Fitoussi, B. Flaggs, T. Fodran, A. Franco, M. Freitas, T. Fujii, A. Fuster, C. Galea, B. Garcia, C. Gaudu, P.L. Ghia, U. Giaccari, F. Gobbi, F. Gollan, G. Golup, M. Gómez Berisso, P.F. Gómez Vitale, J.P. Gongora, J.M. Gonzalez, N.M. Gonzalez, D. Gora, A. Gorgi, M. Gottowik, F. Guarino, G. Guedes, L. Gülzow, S. Hahn, P. Hamal, M.R. Hampel, P.M. Hansen, V.M. Harvey, A. Haungs, T. Hebbeker, C. Hojvat, J. Hörandel, P. Horvath, M. Hrabovsky, T. Huege, A. Insolia, P.G. Isar, M. Ismaiel, P. Janecek, V. Jilek, K.H. Kampert, B. Keilhauer, A. Khakurdikar, V.V. Kizakke Covilakam, H. Klages, M. Kleifges, J. Köhler, F. Krieger, M. Kubatova, N. Kunka, B.L. Lago, N. Langner, N. Leal, M.A. Leigui de Oliveira, Y. Lema-Capeans, A. Letessier-Selvon, I. Lhenry-Yvon, L. Lopes, J.P. Lundquist, M. Mallamaci, D. Mandat, P. Mantsch, F.M. Mariani, A. Mariazzi, I.C. Maris, G. Marsella, D. Martello, S. Martinelli, M.A. Martins, H.J. Mathes, J. Matthews, G. Matthiae, E.W. Mayotte, S. Mayotte, P. Mazur, G. Medina-Tanco, J. Meinert, D. Melo, A. Menshikov, C. Merx, S. Michal, M.I. Micheletti, L. Miramonti, M. Mogarkar, S. Mollerach, F. Montanet, L. Morejon, K. Mulrey, R. Mussa, W.M. Namasaka, S. Negi, L. Nellen, K. Nguyen, G. Nicora, M. Niechciol, D. Nitz, D. Nosek, A. Novikov, V. Novotný, L. Nozka, A. Nucita, L.A. Nunez, J. Ochoa, C. Oliveira, L. Östman, M. Palatka, J. Pallotta, S. Panja, G. Parente, T. Paulsen, J. Pawlowsky, M. Pech, J. Pękala, R. Pelayo, V. Pelgrims, L.A. Pereira, E.E. Pereira Martins, C. Pérez Bertolli, L. Perrone, S. Petrera, C. Petrucci, T. Pierog, M. Pimenta, M. Platino, B. Pont, M. Pourmohammad Shahvar, P. Privitera, C. Priyadarshi, M. Prouza, K. Pytel, S. Querchfeld, J. Rautenberg, D. Ravignani, J.V. Reginatto Akim, A. Reuzki, J. Ridky, F. Riehn, M. Risse, V. Rizi, E. Rodriguez, G. Rodriguez Fernandez, J.R. Rodriguez Rojo, S. Rossoni, M. Roth, E. Roulet, A. Rovero, A. Saftoiu, M. Saharan, F. Salamida, H.I. Salazar, G. Salina, P. Sampathkumar, N. San Martin, J. Sanabria Gomez, F.A. Sánchez, E.M. Santos, E. Santos, F. Sarazin, R. Sarmento, R. Sato, P. Savina, V. Scherini, H. Schieler, M. Schimassek, M. Schimp, D. Schmidt, O. Scholten, H. Schoorlemmer, P. Schovanek, F.G. Schröder, J. Schulte, T. Schulz, S.J. Sciutto, M. Scornavacche, A. Sedoski, A. Segreto, S. Sehgal, S.U. Shivashankara, G. Sigl, K. Simkova, F. Simon, R. Smida, P. Sommers, R. Squartini, M. Stadelmaier, S. Stanič, J. Stasielak, P. Stassi, S. Strähnz, M. Straub, T. Suomijarvi, A.D. Supanitsky, Z. Svozilikova, K. Syrokvas, Z. Szadkowski, F. Tairli*, M. Tambone, A. Tapia, C. Taricco, C. Timmermans, O. Tkachenko, P. Tobiska, C.J. Todero Peixoto, B. Tomé, A. Travaini, P. Travnicek, M.J. Tueros, M. Unger, R. Uzeiroska, L. Vaclavek, M. Vacula, I. Vaiman, J.F. Valdés Galicia, L. Valore, P. van Dillen, E. Varela, V. Vašíčková, A. Vásquez-Ramírez, D. Veberic, I.D. Vergara Quispe, S. Verpoest, V. Verzi, J. Vicha, J. Vink, S. Vorobiov, J.B. Vuta, C.K.O. Watanabe, A. Watson, A. Weindl, M. Weitz, L. Wiencke, H. Wilczyński, B. Wundheiler, B. Yue, A. Yushkov, E. Zas, D. Zavrtanik and M. Zavrtaniket al. (click to show)*: corresponding author
Pre-published on:
September 24, 2025
Published on:
December 30, 2025
Abstract
Rejection of cloud-contaminated data is a complex and important process at the Pierre Auger
Observatory, one which combines information from several sources, including IR cameras, lidars,
and satellite imaging. With the deteriorating quality of the IR cameras and challenges in using
other sources, we propose a new method. We use continuous detector monitoring measurements to
build a large database of night sky background fluxes for each pixel across 27 telescopes. Using this
database, we generate the expected background flux and define cloud rejection thresholds. Through
a straightforward analysis we construct boolean cloud-contamination masks. We demonstrate some
results of the analysis, including comparisons with cloud detected using infra-red observations.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.0408
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