Passive method for cloud base height detection

Clouds cover a surface of Earth on the average on 50 % and are one of the major parameter of climate formation. Besides, knowledge of a local overcast condition play main role in aviation safety. The passive method of cloud base height detection with use of two spatially carried matrix photodetectors is offered. The cloud base height is detected by a triangulation method. This method is used in a geodesy and stereophotogrammetria. The essence of a method consists that on knowing distance between two points of monitoring and knowing corners of a direction on observing object, it is possible to define distance up to this object. For this case the same point of overcast is accepted for a marker and an angular coordinates of the marker is calculated separately for each photodetector. Besides, the given method allows to define not only height, but also a direction and speed of clouds movement.