Weather conditions at Timau National Observatory from ERA5

TL;DR

This study assesses the climate conditions at Timau National Observatory using ERA5 data from 2002-2021, highlighting temperature stability and water vapor levels relevant for astronomical observations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive climate analysis of Timau Observatory using ERA5 data, offering insights for its operational potential and future development.

Findings

Surface temperature around 18.9°C with small variation

High precipitable water vapor limits infrared observations

Discrepancy between ERA5 and satellite cloud cover estimates

Abstract

A new observatory site should be investigated for its local climate conditions to see its potential and limitations. In this respect, we examine several meteorological parameters at the site of Timau National Observatory, Indonesia using the ERA5 dataset from 2002 to 2021. Based on this dataset, we conclude that the surface temperature at Timau is around 18.9 C with a relatively small temperature variation (1.5 C) over the day. This temperature stability is expected to give advantages to the observatory. In terms of humidity and water vapour, Timau is poor for infrared observations as the median precipitable water vapour exceeds 18 mm, even during the dry season. However, near-infrared observations are feasible. Even though our cloud cover analysis confirms the span of the observing season in the region, we find a significant discrepancy between the clear sky fraction derived from the ERA5 dataset and the one estimated using satellite imagery. Aside from the indicated bias, our results provide insights and directions for the operation and future development of the observatory.