Sunshine recorder

{{Short description|Meteorological instrumentation}} {{for|the song by Boards of Canada|Geogaddi}}{{More citations needed|date=June 2024}}[[Image:Heliograph wendelstein 2002 00a.jpg|thumb|A Campbell–Stokes sunshine recorder ]] A '''sunshine recorder''' is a device that records the amount of sunshine at a given location or region at any time. The results provide information about the weather and climate as well as the temperature of a geographical area. This information is useful in meteorology, science, agriculture, tourism, and other fields. It has also been called a '''heliograph'''.

There are two basic types of sunshine recorders. One type uses the Sun itself as a time-scale for the sunshine readings. The other type uses some form of clock for the time scale.

[[Image:Sunshine recorders.jpg|right|thumb|A Jordan sunshine recorder (left). The other instrument is a Marvin sunshine recorder.]] Older recorders required a human observer to interpret the results; recorded results might differ among observers. Modern sunshine recorders use electronics and computers for precise data that do not depend on a human interpreter. Newer recorders can also measure the global and diffuse radiation.{{Clarify|date=October 2009}}

== Examples ==

* A Campbell–Stokes recorder has a glass sphere that focuses the Sun's rays on a card behind it to produce a continuous scorch mark, which meteorologists can use to calculate the number of hours of bright sunlight.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buckley |first=Bruce |title=Weather: A Visual Guide |date=2008 |publisher=Firefly Books |isbn=9781554074303 |location=Buffalo, New York |pages=176–177}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.komokaweather.com/weather/sunrecorder/sunrecorder_display_v1.html Komoka Sunrecorder Current Images]

Sunshine recorders