Jenoptik is one of the few manufacturers whose ceilometers, also called high-quality laser cloud base recorders (HQ-LCBR), can reliably measure the height of multiple cloud and aerosol layers up to 50,000 ft altitude. The Jenoptik product family "CHM 15k" is able to detect cirrus clouds, cloud coverage, the vertical visibility and boundary layer height.
These data are routinely used by meteorological services and for flight-safety purposes. They also support detailed and long-term climate research. Ceilometers rely on the LIDAR technology (Light Detection and Ranging), an optical variant of radar. The information is gained by measuring laser backscatter data from aerosols and droplets in the atmosphere. The ceilometers are designed to operate throughout the year and in any climate.
Please find pictures of the Jenoptik ceilometers on the following web page, available for download:
http://www.jenoptik.com/...