Campbell–Stokes recorder
A Campbell–Stokes recorder is a special tool that looks like a big glass ball with a flared top. This tool is used to measure the amount of sunlight that shines down in a specific area over a certain amount of time.
How it works is really simple. The glass ball on top of the tool is like a magnifying glass. As the sun shines down, the light is concentrated inside the glass ball, which creates a very hot spot. When the sun moves or the tool is turned, that hot spot leaves a trace on a special piece of paper or card inside the recorder. This trace is called a burn, and it tells scientists how much sunlight shone down over a period of time.
Think of it like drawing a picture with the sun! The closer the sun is to directly overhead, the more intense the picture will be and the longer the burn will last. When the sun is lower in the sky, the picture will be shorter and less intense.
Scientists use the Campbell–Stokes recorder to keep track of how much sunlight is shining down in different places over time. They can use this information to understand how weather patterns change, track climate change, and predict future weather patterns.
How it works is really simple. The glass ball on top of the tool is like a magnifying glass. As the sun shines down, the light is concentrated inside the glass ball, which creates a very hot spot. When the sun moves or the tool is turned, that hot spot leaves a trace on a special piece of paper or card inside the recorder. This trace is called a burn, and it tells scientists how much sunlight shone down over a period of time.
Think of it like drawing a picture with the sun! The closer the sun is to directly overhead, the more intense the picture will be and the longer the burn will last. When the sun is lower in the sky, the picture will be shorter and less intense.
Scientists use the Campbell–Stokes recorder to keep track of how much sunlight is shining down in different places over time. They can use this information to understand how weather patterns change, track climate change, and predict future weather patterns.