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Reflectance measurements with spectroradiometers in the solar wavelength region (0.4-2.5 [micro]m) are frequently conducted in the laboratory or in the field to characterize surface materials of artificial and natural targets. The spectral surface reflectance is calculated as the ratio of the signals obtained over the target surface and a reference panel, yielding a relative reflectance value. If the reflectance of the reference panel is known, the absolute target reflectance can be computed. This standard measurement technique assumes that the signal at the radiometer is due completely to reflected target and reference radiation. However, for field measurements in the 2.4-2.5-[micro]m region with the Sun as the illumination source, the emitted thermal radiation is not a negligible part of the signal even at ambient temperatures, because the atmospheric transmittance, and thus the solar illumination level, is small in the atmospheric absorption regions. A new method is proposed that calculates reflectance values in the 2.4-2.5-[micro]m region while it accounts for the reference panel reflectance and the emitted radiation. This technique needs instruments with noise-equivalent radiances of 2 orders of magnitude below currently commercially available instruments and requires measurement of the surface temperatures of target and reference. If the reference panel reflectance and temperature effects are neglected, the standard method yields reflectance errors up to 0.08 and 0.15 units for 7- and 2-nm bandwidth instruments, respectively. For the new method the corresponding errors can be reduced to approximately 0.01 units for the surface temperature range of 20-35[degrees]C. OCIS codes: 280.0280, 120.4640, 120.6780, 120.6810.

A precision reflectance characterization facility, constructed specifically for the measurement of the bidirectional reflectance properties of Spectralon panels planned for use as in-flight calibrators on the NASA Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) instrument is described. The incident linearly polarized radiation is provided at three laser wavelengths: 442, 632.8, and 859.9 nm. Each beam is collimated when incident on the Spectralon. The illuminated area of the panel is viewed with a silicon photodetector that revolves around the panel (360 [degrees]) on a 30-cm boom extending from a common rotational axis. The reflected radiance detector signal is ratioed with the signal from a reference detector to minimize the effect of amplitude instabilities in the laser sources. This and other measures adopted to reduce noise have resulted in a bidirectional reflection function (BRF) calibration facility with a measurement precision with regard to a BRF measurement of [+ or -]0.002 at the 1[Sigma] confidence level. The Spectralon test piece panel is held in a computer-controlled three-axis rotational assembly capable of a full 360 [degrees] rotation in the horizontal plane and 90 [degrees] in the vertical. The angular positioning system has repeatability and resolution of 0.001 [degrees]. Design details and an outline of the measurement methodology are presented.