Albedometer

Albedometry is a method for determining albedo, that is, the ability of a surface to reflect light. This method is used in various fields such as astronomy, physics, geology, ecology and others.

Albedo is the ratio of reflected light to incident light, and can vary depending on the properties of the surface. For example, the albedo of snow is high and the albedo of sand is low. Albedo also depends on the angle of incidence of light and can be different in different directions.

Albedometers are used to measure albedo. Albedometers can be optical or photoelectric. Optical albedometers use photocells and light filters to measure the amount of light reflected from a surface. Photoelectric albedometers measure the number of photons reflected from a surface using photodiodes.

In astronomy, albedo is used to determine the surface composition of planets and satellites. In physics, albedo allows us to determine the properties of materials, such as reflectance. In geology, albedo helps determine the age and composition of rocks. In ecology, albedo is an important indicator of the state of the environment.

Thus, albedometry is an important method for studying the properties of surfaces and the environment, and albedometers play an important role in these studies.

An albedo value of 0-10% is considered very white, 11-50% is considered white, and more than 50% is considered very white. The albedo of the device is indicated by the letter A. If the value is measured as a percentage, then the albedo indicator can be expressed by the formula: A = (RI - RЕcosα)/RE *100% = RI/RE*(1 + cosα), where RI and RE are the light reflectance coefficient , expressed as a percentage of the standard surface; RE=100%, cosα=1, then A = RI in %, substituting these data we get A=RI/%RI*(1+1)=2%. There are many models of devices offering different price categories (from 2k to 200k). The main models are: Foton-1A, AlbedoneF-5, FB-25 and Albedina R2. There are also other models on the market, such as: Phototron, Belizna-4A, Meteokostama, Ecolight, Photoinformer.