A novel wireless light sensing device for planetary and astronomical observations

A novel and versatile wireless light sensing device has been designed and tested for stellar and planetary photometric observations. The device weighing few 10 s of grams finds a number of potential applications in the fields of astronomy and in situ planetary exploration. A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) using a number of these devices has been deployed to successfully carry out simultaneous photometric observations under different conditions viz. sunlight, twilight, moonlight etc. Observation of a star of known magnitude for flux calibration at low intensity has been carried out by coupling the device to a 1.2 m telescope which demonstrates its sensitivity. A WSN using these devices is further capable of spatio-temporal investigations of sky background intensities. Such a network can also be used to effectively monitor certain astronomical events (lunar eclipse, asteroid occultation etc.) simultaneously from several locations. The capability of the device, level of miniaturization and its versatility makes it a potential tool for many photometric applications.