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A ten-color Fabry photometer was used during Skylab missions SL-2 and SL-3 to measure sky brightness and polarization associated with zodiacal light, background starlight, F region airglow, and spacecraft corona. A brief description is given of the design, calibration, and performance of the instrument.

The design, calibration, and operation of the University of Minnesota's experiment on board the satellite OS0-5 are described. The instrument was designed to measure zodiacal light, airglow, and lightning. The orientation and stability of the spacecraft is also discussed as it pertains to the experiment.

Measurements over a 4-year period from the satellite OSO-5 have failed to show any temporal variations in the surface brightness and polarization of zodiacal light.

Analysis of the positions of nighttime thunderstorms as determined from the detection of optical radiation by satellite OSO-B reveals that ten times as many lightning storms occur over land areas as over the sea.

A comparison is made between the intensities, as measured by satellite OSO-B, of various discrete light sources on the earth (lightning, city lights, flare gas from oil wells).