Astronomical Site Selection for Turkey Using GIS Techniques

TL;DR

This study uses GIS and satellite data to identify optimal sites for astronomical observatories in Turkey, providing a prioritized list for future testing based on multiple environmental criteria.

Contribution

It introduces a GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis method to select potential observatory sites in Turkey, integrating satellite imagery and environmental data.

Findings

Identified key regions in Turkey suitable for observatories.

Provided a ranked list of candidate sites for further testing.

Demonstrated the effectiveness of GIS and MCDA in site selection.

Abstract

A site selection of potential observatory locations in Turkey have been carried out by using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) coupled with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and satellite imagery which in turn reduced cost and time and increased the accuracy of the final outcome. The layers of cloud cover, digital elevation model, artificial lights, precipitable water vapor, aerosol optical thickness and wind speed were studied in the GIS system. In conclusion of MCDA, the most suitable regions were found to be located in a strip crossing from southwest to northeast including also a diverted region in southeast of Turkey. These regions are thus our prime candidate locations for future on-site testing. In addition to this major outcome, this study has also been applied to locations of major observatories sites. Since no goal is set for \textit{the best}, the results of this study is limited with a list of positions. Therefore, the list has to be further confirmed with on-site tests. A national funding has been awarded to produce a prototype of an on-site test unit (to measure both astronomical and meteorological parameters) which might be used in this list of locations.