For applications where a sensor’s image includes the celestial background, stars and Solar System Bodies compromise the ability of the sensor system to correctly classify a target. Such false targets are particularly significant for the detection of weak target signatures which only have a small relative angular motion. The detection of celestial features is well established in the visible spectral band. However, given the increasing sensitivity and low noise afforded by emergent infrared focal plane array technology together with larger and more efficient optics, the signatures of celestial features can also impact performance at infrared wavelengths. A methodology has been developed which allows the rapid generation of celestial signatures in any required spectral band using star data from star catalogues and other open-source information. Within this paper, the radiometric calculations are presented to determine the irradiance values of stars and planets in any spectral band.

Date Published: 2 May 2018
PDF: 13 pages
Proc. SPIE 10641, Sensors and Systems for Space Applications XI, 1064102 (2 May 2018); doi: 10.1117/12.2294018

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10641:
Sensors and Systems for Space Applications XI
Khanh D. Pham; Genshe Chen, Editor(s)