Patent attributes
A solar calibration device for a remote sensor having a housing having a deployable door at one portion of the housing and an aperture at another portion of the housing is provided. Disposed in the housing is a solar diffuser for receiving solar irradiance when the deployable door is in an open position, and diffusely reflecting the received solar irradiance. A solar diffuser monitor also disposed within the housing receives diffusely reflected solar irradiance from the solar diffuser, for calibrating the solar irradiance reflected from the solar diffuser, and receives solar irradiance directly from the sun through the aperture to calibrate the spectral reflectance of the solar diffuser monitor detectors based on the solar irradiance received directly from the sun.