Sun and Aureole Measurement (SAM) NASA

The SAM started to acquire data in January 2012 as part of the SAM network: http://www.visidyne.com/SAM/SAM_DATA_MAS.htm. SAM is a precision solar tracking instrument that utilizes multiple cameras and a spectrometer to simultaneously measure the solar aureole caused by forward scattering and the optical depth of clouds. It is a ground-based instrument for the remote measurement of cloud and aerosol optical properties. It makes precise measurements of the radiance profile of the solar disk and aureole.