Atmospheric extinction properties above Mauna Kea from the Nearby Supernova Factory spectro-photometric data set

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive atmospheric extinction curve for Mauna Kea based on extensive spectro-photometric data, aiding in calibration and uncertainty estimation for astronomical observations.

Contribution

It introduces the most detailed extinction curve for Mauna Kea, derived from 4285 spectra over 7 years, and presents a method to decompose and analyze physical components of atmospheric extinction.

Findings

Good agreement with Mauna Loa Observatory data

Extinction curve applicable for calibration purposes

Method effective even on cloudy nights

Abstract

We present a new atmospheric extinction curve for Mauna Kea spanning 3200--9700 \AA. It is the most comprehensive to date, being based on some 4285 standard star spectra obtained on 478 nights spread over a period of 7 years obtained by the Nearby SuperNova Factory using the SuperNova Integral Field Spectrograph. This mean curve and its dispersion can be used as an aid in calibrating spectroscopic or imaging data from Mauna Kea, and in estimating the calibration uncertainty associated with the use of a mean extinction curve. Our method for decomposing the extinction curve into physical components, and the ability to determine the chromatic portion of the extinction even on cloudy nights, is described and verified over the wide range of conditions sampled by our large dataset. We demonstrate good agreement with atmospheric science data obtain at nearby Mauna Loa Observatory, and with previously published measurements of the extinction above Mauna Kea.