Meet the team: AnaCan Skywalker

Description of the Cansat mission:

The AnaCan Skywalker CanSat will do environmental monitoring of the atmosphere. During descent it will measure the solar spectrum with a spectrophotometer. The spectrum allows the team to calculate solar temperature and brightness. The absorption lines in the red and near infrared part provides information about greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. During descent the satellite will record the solar spectrum, even if it's cloudy. While it approaches the ground, the spectrum will also measure reflected light. This can provide information about albedo. In addition, the satellite will measure the atmospheric content of the greenhouse gas H₂O, using the humidity sensor. Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer allows more UV radiation to reach the ground. Hence, the team will also measure the amount of UV at different heights, using the UV radiation sensor. On the bases of these parameters the students can judge the state of environment conditions and the impact on climate and is therefore important to monitor. A camera is pointing in the same direction as the spectrophotometer to show, if the spectrum is pointing at the sky or the earth surface.

The students can determine the maximum wavelength from the spectrum, from which they can calculate the temperature of the sun by use of Wiens displacements law, λ_max = 2.90*10^-3/T. 

Visit the team's interview.