Abstract: The formal link between magnitudes per square arcsecond and luminance is discussed in this paper. Directly related to the human visual system, luminance is defined in terms of the spectral radiance of the source, weighted by the CIE V(l) luminous efficiency function, and scaled by the 683 lm/W luminous efficacy constant. In consequence, any exact and spectrum-independent relationship between luminance and magnitudes per square arcsecond requires that the last ones be measured precisely in the CIE V(l) band. The luminance value corresponding to mVC=0 (zero-point of the CIE V(l) magnitude scale) depends on the reference source chosen for the definition of the magnitude system. Using absolute AB magnitudes, the zero point luminance of the CIE V(l) photometric band is 10.96 x 104 cd·m-2.

Abstract: The visual brightness of the night sky is not a single-valued function of its brightness in other photometric bands, because the transformations between photometric systems depend on the spectral power distribution of the skyglow. We analyze the transformation between the night sky brightness in the Johnson-Cousins V band (mV, measured in magnitudes per square arcsecond, mpsas) and its visual luminance (L, in SI units cd m−2) for observers with photopic and scotopic adaptation, in terms of the spectral power distribution of the incident light. We calculate the zero-point luminances for a set of skyglow spectra recorded at different places in the world, including strongly light-polluted locations and sites with nearly pristine natural dark skies. The photopic skyglow luminance corresponding to mV = 0.00 mpsas is found to vary between 1.11–1.34 × 105 cd m−2 if mV is reported in the absolute (AB) magnitude scale, and between 1.18–1.43 × 105 cd m−2 if a Vega scale for mV is used instead. The photopic luminance for mV = 22.0 mpsas is correspondingly comprised between 176 and 213 μcd m−2 (AB), or 187 and 227 μcd m−2 (Vega). These constants tend to decrease for increasing correlated color temperatures (CCT). The photopic zero-point luminances are generally higher than the ones expected for blackbody radiation of comparable CCT. The scotopic-to-photopic luminance ratio (S/P) for our spectral dataset varies from 0.8 to 2.5. Under scotopic adaptation the dependence of the zero-point luminances with the CCT, and their values relative to blackbody radiation, are reversed with respect to photopic ones.

Abstract: Improving knowledge of the light output of digital billboards is important to better assess their effect on driver distraction when they are installed along roads. In this work the emission of an LED based billboard is measured when playing advertising video-clips. In particular the average and the maximum values of the luminance are evaluated. The same video-clips are also analyzed when shown on an LCD monitor, aiming at separating the variability of the videos and of the playing device. The results allow to evaluate an utilization factor of the billboard: the videos have an average luminance around 11% and a peak luminance of 35% of the maximum luminance obtainable from the billboard. The power consumption of the billboard is measured, aside the photometric analysis. The luminance of the device are found linearly dependent on both the power and the effective current absorbed by the device from the grid, with a discrepancy within 6%. It could be a useful information for billboard manufacturers to qualify their product when they do not own photometric instruments.