JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA VOLUME 54, INUMBEHR8 AITGIJST 196i4

Spectral Distribution of Typical Daylight as a Function of Correlated

Color Temperature
DEANE B. JUDD
National Bureau of Standards,Washington,D. C. 20234
AND

DAVIDL. MACADAM
Research Laboratories, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York 14650
AND

GtTNTERWYSZECKI
National Research Council, Ottawa 2, Ontario, Canada
WITHTHE COLLABORATION
OF
H. W. BUDDE,*H. R. CONDITt S. T. HENDERSON,$AND J. L. SIMONDSt
(Received 29 April 1964

Spectral distributions of 622 samples of daylight (skylight, and sunlight plus skylight) have been subjected
to characteristic vector analysis, as composite data and in three subgroups (99 distributions measured by
Budde; 249, by Condit; and 274, by Henderson and Hodgkiss). The chromaticity coordinates (x,y) com-
puted from these distributions have been compared with direct visual determinations of chromaticity coordi-
nates of daylight by Nayatani and Wyszecki, and by Chamberlin, Lawrence, and Belbin. It was found that
the chromaticities indicated by the spectral distributions and by direct visual colorimetry cluster about
the curve: y = 2.870x-3.000x2 -0.275. This curve of typical daylight chromaticities falls slightly on the green
side of the Planckian locus. From the mean and the first two characteristic vectors of the composite data,
spectral distribution curves have been reconstituted by choice of scalar multiples of the vectors such that the
chromaticity points fall on the curve of typical daylight chromaticities at places corresponding to correlated
color temperatures of 48000, 55000, 65000, 75000, and 10 0000 K. The representative character of these re-
constituted spectral-distribution curves has been established by comparison with the measured curves from
each subgroup yielding the closest approximation to the same chromaticities. The agreement so found sug-
gests that this family of curves is more representative of the various phases of daylight between correlated
color temperatures 48000 and 10 0000 K than any previously derived distributions.

INTRODUCTION increasingly used in the reduction of spectrophoto-

EVERsince light sources B and C were recom-
mended in 1931 by the International Commission
on Illumination at its meeting in Cambridge, England,
they have served as standard sources for the colorimetry
of materials.' These sources are combinations of a gas-
filled lamp at a color temperature of 28540 K with
Davis-Gibson2 liquid filters intended to approximate
within the visible spectrum the spectral distributions
of the complete radiator (blackbody) at temperatures
of 4800° and 6500'K, respectively. Source B (4800'K)
has served in the colorimetric laboratory as a repre-
sentative of noon sunlight, and source C (6500'K) has
served as a representative of average daylight. This
laboratory use of these standard sources has steadily
diminished in recent years because of the increasing
dependence placed on indirect colorimetry by means
of the spectrophotometer; but the spectral energy
distributions of sources B and C have been widely and
* National Research Council, Ottawa 2, Ontario, Canada.
t Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York 14650.
1 Thorn Electrical Industries Limited, Great Cambridge Road,
Enfield, Middlesex, England.
I Proceedings of the International Commission on Illumination,
8th Session, Cambridge, 1931 (Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, England, 1932) p. 19.
2 R. Davis and K. S. Gibson, "Filters for the Reproduction of
Sunlight and Daylight and the Determination of Color Tempera-
ture," Natl. Bur. Std. (U. S.), Misc. Pub. 114 (1931).
1031
metric data to the calorimetric variables (Y,x,y) of the
1931 CIE standard-observer system.'
The development of the Davis-Gibson liquid filters,
and their use to realize standard sources for colorimetry,
was an important step toward an internationally recog-
nized general method of colorimetry, but standard sources
sorealized have limitations that prevent them from lead-
ing to a completely general method. For example, the
ultraviolet content' is too low to permit these sources
to be an adequate representation of sunlight or day-
light in the colorimetry of fluorescent materials.
Furthermore, the standard sources cannot yield the
high luminous flux required for the most precise in-
spection of industrial products because the liquids in
the filters would become heated above the boiling
point. Because of these limitations, because of minor
inconveniences arising from the use of liquid filters
(difficulties of preparation according to the careful
prescription given, need to replace the filters every
few months because of drift in their spectral character,
temperature coefficient of spectral transmittance), and
because improved glass filters could be made available,4
I R. Davis, K. S. Gibson, and G. W. Haupt, J. Res. Natl. Bur.
Std. 50, 31 (1953); J. Opt. Soc. Am. 43, 172 (1953).
4 G. N. Rautian, N. V. Lobanova, and M. A. Znamenskaya,
Z. Tech. Fisiki 26, 193 (1956). D. B. Judd, Farbe 10, 31 (1961).
1032 1032'JUDD, MAdACADAMl, ANTD
a proposal was made by the Russian delegate to the
CIE Committee on Colorimetry in 1957 to define
standard sources solely as blackbody radiators and
to substitute glass filters for liquid filters in their
5
realization.
As a part of the studies of this Russian proposal,
undertaken at the request of the CIE Committee on
Colorimetry, a questionnaire devised by one of us
(GW) was circulated by the Canadian Committee on
Colorimetry, and a similar questionnaire devised by
D. Nickerson was circulated by the U. S. Technical
Committee on Colorimetry.
The replies to the Canadian questionnaire have been
6
summarized as follows:
"Question 4.-Do you suggest that the present CIE
standard sources should be changed? If so, which
sources do you recommend? Please give references and
reasons for your choice."
The replies received can be separated into three
groups, each of which is about equal in size:
" (i) No comments; leaves it up to the CIE to
investigate the problem and come forward with
recommendations."
" (ii) No change recommended; emphasizes the
possible confusion a change may bring about and the
considerable effect it may have on existing tabulations
and instrumentation."
" (iii) New sources or changes are desirable; it would
be desirable to have one or more standard daylight
sources which are of more practical use than the
present Source C and thus encourage the use of the
standard source in inspection work. A new standard
source should provide a high level of illuminance over
a large area of the visual field. The ultraviolet content
should be comparable with that of natural daylight
both in amount and spectral distribution."
Nickerson6 summarized the replies to the question-
naire as follows: "No change should be made in CIE
standard light sources until a 300-800 nm definition
for a target standard for daylight can be agreed upon,
and a sufficiently close match to this can be obtained
in an actual lamp, or in a lamp-filter combination,
that can be agreed upon for use as a standard source
for calorimetric and visual use. Further, that any
series adopted for light-source standards should include
one that in color temperature is at least as high as
7400'K. This is for use as a daylight substitute in
colorimetry and for visual use, to be adopted either
in replacement for, or in addition to, the present
source C."
'Proceedings of the International Commnission on Illon1ination,
14th Session, Brussels, 1959 (Bureau Central de la Commission
Internationale de l'Eclairagc, 57, rue Cuvier, Paris, 5', Frame,
1960), Vol. A, p. 93.
a Proceedings of the International Commnissionon Illnmination,
15th Session, V'ienna, 1963 (Bureau Central de la Commission
Internationale de 1'Eclairage) (to be published).
\NYSZECI( Vl
Vol. 54
54
A meeting of U. S. Technical Committee on Colorim-
etry was convened in Rochester in October 1962 to
consider the results of these questionnaires and to
explore what next steps ought to be taken in the
development of standard sources for colorimetry. All
members of the committee were present (I. A. Balinkin,
University of Cincinnati; D. B. Judd, National Bureau
of Standards; D. L. MacAdam, Eastman Kodak
Company; D. Nickerson, U. S. Department of Agri-
culture; and W. T. Wintringham, Bell Telephone Lab-
oratories). Present also as guests at one time or another
were W. E. K. Middleton and G. Wyszecki, National
Research Council of Canada; Norman Macbeth,
Macbeth Corporation; and H. R. Condit, 0. E.
Miller, and J. L. Simonds, Eastman Kodak Company.
Macbeth criticized existing standards of daylight, in-
cluding Abbot-Gibson daylight7 and Middleton's com-
puted distributions8 for the overcast sky with an urban
terrain suggested by the committee in 1955 as a target
9
standard, as well as CIE sources B and C, as being
too pink to be acceptable representations of typical
daylight. These recommended spectral distributions
correspond to chromaticities on the pink side of the
Planckian locus on the chromaticity diagram. He called
attention to the fact that over a period of several
decades his company has sold thousands of artificial
daylighting units not only with a color temperature
range, but also with a pink-green range. Many units
yielding colors on the pink side of the Planckian locus,
and even those falling very slightly on the green side,
have been returned by customers with the complaint
that they were too pink to give color renditions char-
acterizing natural daylight."0
Examination of a chromaticity diagram supplied by
Nickerson comparing the chromaticities corresponding
to the spectral distributions of sunlight and daylight
by Abbot"' as summarized by Moon,'2 by Taylor and
Kerr,'3 and by Henderson and Hodgkiss supplied in
advance of publication'4 was found to support Mac-
beth's indirect finding that typical daylight is more
greenish than existing standards of daylight.
MacAdam reported that extensive spectral distribu-
tion data for various phases of daylight had been ob-
tained in Rochester in recent years independently in
7 K. S. Gibson, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 30, 88 (1940).
8 W. E. K. Middleton, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 44, 793 (1954).
9Proceedings of the International Commission onl Illumination,
13th Session, Zfirich, 1955 (Bureau Central de la Commission
Internationale de l'Eclairage, 57, rue Cuvier, Paris 5c, France,
1955), Vol. I, p. 1.3.1 U-9.
10Norman Macbeth and WV.B. Reese, "Some practical notes
on standard illumination practices for color matching in the
U. S. A.-past, present, and future," 7th International Confer-
ence on Color; Florence, Prato, and Padua, Italy; 2-7 May 1963.
11C. G. Abbot, F. E. Fowle, and L. B. Aldrich, "The distribu-
tion of energy in the spectra of the sun and stars," Smithsonian
Miscellaneous Collections 74, No. 7, Publ. No. 2714 (1923).
2 P. Moon, J. Franklin Inst. 230, 583 (1940).
3
A. H. Taylor and G. P. Kerr, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 31, 3 (1941).
4 S. T. Henderson and D. Hodgkiss, Brit. J. Appl. Phys. 14,
125 (1963).
August1964 SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION
two projects of the Eastman Kodak Company, one
(Condit)"5 by spectroradiometer, the other (Miller) by
interference filters, and that some of the data gathered
by Condit had been subjected to characteristic vector
analysis by Simonds."6 Wyszecki said that a project of
the National Research Council was about to get under
way to measure the spectral distribution of north sky-
light in Ottawa simultaneously with visual determina-
tions of chromaticity as a check. In view of the fact
that data recently taken, or about to be taken, were
far more numerous, and sampled much more completely
the range of spectral distributions of daylight than
previously published data, it was decided that the
technical colorimetry committees of Canada and the
United States would jointly undertake to evaluate from
these recent data (Ottawa, Rochester, and Enfield,
England), a series of related spectral distributions of
typical daylight extending over a considerable range
of correlated color temperatures. It is the purpose of
this paper to describe the method of evaluation, to
present the series of spectral distributions, and to
present evidence supporting the view that each in-
dividual spectral distribution of the series is typical
of daylight of a particular correlated color temperature.
COLLABORATION OBTAINED
Condit, Henderson, and Budde supplied spectral
distribution data relative to 560 nm for various samples
of daylight in the form of relative spectral irradiance
for each 10-nm interval between 330 and 700 nm in
advance of publication. Condit supplied distributions
for 249 samples of daylight; Henderson, 274; and
Budde, 99.
Simonds supervised derivation of the first four
characteristic vectors not only for the composite data
(622 distributions), but also for the three subgroups
(Condit, Henderson, Budde) over the same spectral
range, and for the Henderson data over the range
330 to 780 nm. The program and computer time for
computing the chromaticity coordinates for each input
distribution, for evaluation of the characteristic vec-
tors, for obtaining reconstituted distributions from the
means and the first two characteristic vectors, and for
checking these against the corresponding individual
input distributions were supplied by the Eastman
Kodak Company.
CHARACTERISTIC VECTOR METHOD
A mathematical statement of the method, adapted
from Simonds,"6 might be given as follows:
Response data Ex (spectral irradiance) are available
for r(38) levels of the variable X (wavelength). For
each experimental condition, then, the r values of Ex
constitute a one-row r-column vector of response data.
"$H. R. Condit and F. Grum, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 53, 1340 (1963);
54, 937 (1964).
16 R. H. Morris and J. H. Morrissey, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 44, 530
(1954); J. L. Simonds, ibid. 53, 968 (1963).
OF TYPICAL DAYLIGHT 1033
For n (622, 249, 274, or 99) sample sets of data, the
response vectors can be arrayed to form a data matrix
of n rows and r columns.
It is possible to find a set of characteristic vectors,
which, when added in the proper amounts to the mean
response vector, will adequately approximate any of the
original family of n response vectors. Details of the
computational procedure are given by Simonds.6 The
procedure involves the computation of the variance-
covariance matrix S from the original n-by-r data
matrix of response vectors. Characteristic vectors of
this matrix are obtained corresponding to the latent
roots of the determinantal equation
IS-LIJ =0, (1)
where I is an r-by-r unit matrix and L is a diagonal
matrix (r-by-r) of the latent roots. The characteristic
vectors, like the response vectors themselves, are sets
of r numbers. Mathematically stated, the sample re-
sponses at each value of wavelength are given by
Eq. (2):
E,= E1+MV ,l+M2V2,1
* -MIV',,
+M3V3,l+.
E2 = E2+M1 V1,2 +M2 V2,2
Er=Er+MlVr+M
+M3 V3,2+*- M Vp,,2,
2 V2,
+M3 V 3,r+ **Mp p,r.
J p<r. (2)
The M's are the amounts of the characteristic vectors
which must be added to the mean response vector in
order to produce the sample response vector. The
characteristic vectors Vp are uniquely determined for
a given family of response curves. The same character-
istic vectors apply to all response vectors belonging
to the original family from which the vectors are
derived. Only the values of Ml, M2, - * , Mp vary
.
from one response curve to another. The M's, there-
fore, are a complete specification of the response vector
to which they apply. Together with the uniquely de-
termined characteristic vectors and the mean response
vector, the M's are sufficient information with which
to reconstruct the entire response vector from which
they were derived.
The number p of characteristic vectors required to
explain all the differences among a family of curves,
each represented by r responses, will be equal to, or less
than r. For a perfect fit to all the response vectors, r
characteristic vectors may be required. The power of
the tool, however, comes from the fact that a large
percentage of the variability among the family of
homologous response vectors may be explained by
using only a few characteristic vectors.
The p vectors, when graphically presented, are basis
curves or vectors. The following statements are given
without proof:
(1) The p characteristic vectors are orthogonal;
that is, they represent independent types of response
1034 13JUI)D,MACADAM, AND WXYSZECKI
variability. Mathematically stated,
r
E VaiVbi=O, awAb.
(2) The M's, called scalar multiples, can be de-
termined for each sample response vector as a simple
linear combination of the response data at the r values
of wavelength. The weighting coefficients are uniquely
determined for a particular set of vectors.
(3) The derivation of the vectors ensures that the
first vector accounts for the largest amount of the
total response variability; the second vector accounts
for the second largest amount of variability; and so
forth.
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
The 249 spectral distributions of Rochester daylight
supplied by Condit were obtained by comparing the
light reflected from a magnesium oxide test plate
illuminated by incandescent lamp light of known color
temperature with that reflected from a barium sulfate
test plate tilted 150 off the vertical and illuminated
either by light from the sky and light from the sun
at various altitudes in the plane perpendicular to the
test plate, or simply by light from the sky with the
sun being back of the plate or obscured by clouds.
The instrument used was the Beckman DK spectro-
photometer whose slitwidths are automatically adjusted
to maintain the output of the photodetector constant.
The spectral bands transmitted varied from about 1
to 3 nm at half-height. The scanning time was about
1 min. The measured spectral distribution curves ex-
tended from 330 to 700 nm, and were read at somewhat
irregular intervals dictated by an attempt to obtain
values of relative spectral irradiance at the middle of
each major absorption or transmission band detected.
The input data were derived at intervals of 10 nm by
interpolation of these data. Small corrections were
applied for the difference in spectral reflectance be-
tween magnesium oxide and barium sulfate. The meas-
urements refer to sky conditions not yielding any
visual evidence of industrial contamination.
The 274 spectral distributions of daylight in Enfield,
England, supplied by Henderson, were obtained partly
by light reflected from a horizontal diffusing white
plate of known spectral reflectance relative to mag-
nesium oxide, consisting of mat-finish Vitrolite receiv-
ing light from nearly the whole hemisphere including
direct sunlight if it was not obscured by clouds. The
remainder of the observations refer to the north sky
at 450 with an acceptance angle of about 60. The
Hilger and Watts D290 grating monochromator was
used, and the scan was divided between two photocells
(Mazda 27M3 from 300 to 580 nm, RCA 1P22 from
540 to 780 nm). The resulting spectroradiometer was
calibrated by light from an incandescent lamp at a
color temperature of 28540 K reflected from a magnes-
Sol. 54r
ium oxide screen.'4 Narrow equal slits gave a spectral
bandwidth of 1.5 nm. "With the instrument's ac-
ceptance angle of about 60, a comparatively small area
was viewed and consequently the signal was sensitive
to changes in this small region of the sky. . . . With
readings taken every 100 A . . . a run could be com-
pleted in about 10 min. . . . Attempts to compensate
for the variation of intensity with time by using a
second monochromator set at a fixed wavelength
throughout the scan gave some improvement but this
could not be carried out regularly. It was decided that
a program involving many measurements over an ex-
tended period would compensate for the random varia-
tions during any one run. With this direct-view ar-
rangement it was desirable to make the measurements
at times of apparently steady sky conditions. On a
good day the variation over a period of 10 min would
be within 3% of the mean value at any given wave-
length, but often it was worse than this, up to 10%
variation being common. . . . The majority of the
observations were made on the laboratory roof and
the white plate was used to give an average distribu-
tion for most of the hemisphere. The measurement
procedure was as before, with some reduction in varia-
bility during a run on account of the integrating effect
of the white plate."
The 99 spectral distributions of Ottawa daylight
were obtained by Budde by measuring the light
received at wavelength X either from the total sky, or
from the north sky, relative to that at wavelength
560 nm. This measurement relative to the irradiance
at 560 nm eliminated fluctuations of the total irradiance
during scanning of the spectrum. The apparatus con-
sisted basically of an integrating sphere, a Hilger
quartz prism double monochromator (D191) and a
1P28 RCA photomultiplier tube. The spectrum was
scanned with a bandwidth ranging from 1 nm in the
ultraviolet to approximately 7 nm in the red. The
spectral range covered was from 300 to 720 nm. Simul-
taneous measurements of the same daylight by means
of a Donaldson six-primary colorimeter 17 were made
by two observers as a closing check on the accuracy
of the measurements of spectral distribution. The
agreement in chromaticity coordinates, calculated from
the visual and the spectroradiometric measurements,
was better than 0.006 in x and y. The data supplied
for analysis were those derived from averaging the
original distribution curves over bands of 10 nm width.
The composite input data consisted of 622 spectral
distributions Ex (Condit 249, Henderson 274, Budde
99) weighted in inverse proportion to the residual
variances V(Ex /FE6 0o) when the data from each source
were separately analyzed and reconstituted with four
vectors. The variance for each set of data was computed
in the usual way as the sum of the squares of the
differences between each input data and the corre-
17R. Donaldson, Proc. Phys. Soc. (London) 59, 554 (1947).
August1964 SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION OF TYPICAL DAYLIGHT 1035

TABLE I. Mean and first four characteristic vectors for

composite data on spectral irradiance of daylight.

Wavelength -o V
1 X
(nm) Mean V1 V2 V3 V4 0'

330 553 420 85 91 12 200- )

340 573 406 78 78 21
350 618 416 67 66 19
360 615 380 53 52 19
370 688 424 61 43 11 00
c-\
0

380 634 385 30 4 -41

390 658 350 12 - 2 -40
400 948 434 -11 -22 -32
410 1048 463 -15 -35 -28
420 1059 439 - 7 -50 -28 o -200 -
430 968 371 -12 -51 -11
440 1139 367 -26 -50 2
450 1256 359 -29 -60 15 300 400 500 600 700
460 1255 326 -28 -63 18 Wavelength,nm
470 1213 279 -26 -65 21 FIG. 1. Vectors V1 (open circles) and V2 (solid circles) derived
480 1213 243 -26 -59 20
from the composite data (622 spectral distributions).
490 1135 201 -18 -58 20
500 1131 162 -15 -47 23
510 1108 132 -13 -45 21 It will also be noted that the values of the first
520 1065 86 -12 -33 22
characteristic vector are greater than zero for wave-
530 1088 61 -10 -20 17
540 1053 42 - 5 -15 13 lengths less than 560 nm, and less than zero for wave-
550 1044 19 - 3 -9 8 lengths greater than 560 nm. The most common varia-
560 1000 0 0 0 0
570 960 -16 2 11 -7 tion from one measured curve of daylight spectral
580 951 -35 5 -10 -5 distribution to another is thus such as to correspond
590 891 -35 21 -3 -7 chiefly to a change in correlated color temperature of
600 905 -58 32 -5 -7
610 903 -72 41 -10 -7 the daylight. This yellow-to-blue variation corresponds
620 884 -86 47 -20 -9 to presence or absence of clouds in the sky, and to the
630 840 -95 51 -22 -8 inclusion or exclusion of direct sunlight.
640 851 -109 67 -36 -5
650 819 -107 73 -48 -3 Note also that the second vector has low values from
660 826 -120 86 -55 -2 380 to 560 nm and higher values in the longwave (red)
670 849 -140 98 -61 2
680 813 -136 102 -65 2 part of the visible spectrum. This second most common
690 719 -120 83 -57 3 variation thus corresponds to a pink-green variation
700 743 -133 96 -64 5 such as might be caused by the presence of little or
much water in the form of vapor and haze.
Figure 1 is a plot of the first and second vectors V
sponding value reconstituted from the mean and the and V derived from the composite data. By adding1
first four characteristic vectors by Eq. (2) divided by various2 scalar multiples M and M of these vectors to
1 2
the number of input data. On this basis, each of the the mean curve, it is evident that variations either in
monitored distributions supplied by Budde received the yellow-blue sense or the pink-green sense may be
full weight, the unmonitored distributions supplied by introduced into the reconstituted curves. Thus, by
Condit and Henderson receiving, as expected, some- adjustment of the scalar multiples M and M , re-
1 2
what lower weights. constituted daylight distribution curves would be
generated to correspond to any chromaticity within
MEANS AND CHARACTERISTIC VECTORS
the daylight range; in particular, values of these scalar
Table I gives, for the composite data, the means and multiples exist which make the chromaticity point cor-
the first four characteristic vectors. The analogous responding to the reconstituted curve fall at any
means and vectors derived from the three subsets of desired point on a locus of typical daylight chromatici-
data (Condit, Henderson, Budde) for the same spectral ties. Any two linear combinations of characteristic
range are available from the authors on request as are vectors would similarly yield an unique distribution
also means and characteristic vectors derived from the curve for each chromaticity point. It was found, how-
Henderson data for the range 330 to 780 nm. ever, that reconstituted curves satisfactorily reproduc-
It will be noted from Table I that, at the normalizing ing the measured curves were generated by using only
wavelength 560 nm, the mean of the spectral distribu- the first two vectors. The remainder of this paper
tions is set at 1000, and the values of the characteristic describes the derivation of such a locus on the chroma-
vectors are all identically zero there. Reconstitutions ticity diagram, the derivation of the corresponding
of spectral distributions of daylight obtained by Eq. 2 scalar multiples for correlated color temperatures 48000,
will thus also have values of 1000 at the normalizing 55000, 65000, 75000, and 10 0000 K, and demonstra-
wavelength 560 nm. tions of the degree to which curves reconstituted in
i(036 JUDIl), MAcAIDA M,
X the Planckian locus (shown as open circles connected
FiG. 2. Chromaticities of daylight compared to the locus of
chromaticities implied by the Planck radiation law (open circles
connected by solid lines). The temperatures of the complete
radiator corresponding to the points at the centers of these open
circles are indicated in degrees Kelvin. The straight lines inter-
secting this locus at 48000, 55000, 65000, 75000, and 10 0000 K
correspond to lines of constant correlated color temperature
computed by Kelly from the 1960 CIE-UCS diagram. The center
of the chromaticity range found for daylight by Nayatani and
Wyszecki is shown by solid circles connected with a solid line;
that found by Chamberlin, Lawrence, and Belbin, by a dotted
line. Chromaticity points computed from the measured spectral
distribution curves are indicated by open circles (Condit), by
crosses (Henderson and Hodgkiss), and by solid circles (Budde).
The locus of chromaticities taken in the present paper to be
tvpical of daylight conforms to the relation: y=2.870x-3.000x 2
-0.275, and is shown by squares connected by a dotted line.
accord with these scalar multiples may be considered
reliable representatives of typical daylight spectral
distributions.
CHROMATICITIES OF VARIOUS
PHASES OF DAYLIGHT
To derive a curve of typical daylight chromaticities,
use has been made of recent visual measurements by
Chamberlin, Lawrence, and Belbin15 on the north sky
in southern England, and by Nayatani and Wyszecki'9
on a near-north sky at Ottawa, Canada, and of the
chromaticities computed from each of the 622 spectral
distributions subjected to characteristic vector analysis.
Figure 2 is a central portion of (x,y)-chromaticity
diagram of the 1931 CIE coordinate system. It shows
as solid circles connected
by a solid line the locus
derived by Nayatani and Wyszecki, as a dotted line
that derived by Chamberlin, Lawrence, and Belbin, as
open circles the chromaticity points computed from
the 249 spectral distributions obtained by Condit, as
vertical crosses the chromaticity points computed from
the 274 spectral distributions supplied by Henderson,
18 G. J. Chamberlin, A. Lawrence, and A. A. Belbin, Light and
Lighting 56, 73 (1963).
1Y Y. Nayatani and G. Wyszecki, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 53, 626
(1963).
ANDIVYSZECKId V 54
Vol.
and as solid circles the chromaticity points computed
from the 99 spectral distributions supplied by Budde.
In general, the plotted points derived from the spectral
distributions agree well with the two lines representing
the visual observations, and they cluster closely about
the line defined by: y=2.870x -3 .00x 2 -0.275, and
shown as squares connected by a solid line on Fig. 2.
The Nayatani-Wyszecki line diverges from the Cham-
berlin-Lawrence-Belbin line for correlated color tem-
peratures greater than 10 0000 K. Since there are too
few chromaticity points, computed from measured
spectral distributions to decide between these two lines
above 40 0000 K, the adopted locus has been drawn
about half-way between the two lines. This adopted
locus below 40 000 0 K is drawn closer to the Nayatani-
NVyszecki locus because the computed chromaticity
points indicate that course. The adopted locus follows
by a solid line on Fig. 2) fairly closely, but stays
slightly on the green side. Figure 2 also shows lines of
correlated color temperature computed by Kelly20 from
the 1960 CIE-UCS diagram for correlated color tem-
peratures of 48000, 5500°, 65000, 75000, and 10 0000 K.
Table II gives the chromaticity coordinates at which
these lines of correlated color temperature intersect the
locus adopted as typical of daylight chromaticities
defined by y =2.870x -3.000x 2 -0.275.
RELATION BETWEEN SCALAR MULTIPLES AND
CHROMATICITY COORDINATES
Any spectral distribution curve Ex reconstituted from
a mean and two characteristic vectors derived from a
family of measured spectral distributions is computed
by Eq. (2) as:
E>,=E>+M 1 V 1 ,X+M2 V 2 ,?, (2a)
and the tristimulus value X of the irradiance specified
by this distribution may be written:
X=E ExtxAX= E(Ex+MlVl,x+M 2 V 2 ,x)zXAX,
where the weighting function x, is one of the color
matching functions of the 1931 CIE standard observer
for colorimetry.' From the fact that the scalar multiples
M1 and M 2 are constants independent of wavelength
for any single reconstituted curve, the expression for
TABLE II. Chromaticity coordinates (xy) of typical daylight
for various correlated color temperatures.
Correlated color
temperature Chromaticity coordinates
(0 K) x Y
4800 0.3518 0.3634
5500 0.3324 0.3475
6500 0.3127 0.3291
7500 0.2991 0.3150
10 000 0.2787 0.2919
20
K. L. Kelly, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 53, 999 (1963).
August1964 SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION OF TYPICAL DAYLIGHT 1037

TABLE III. Scalar multiples of the first two characteristic calculated and found to be as follows: Xo=102434,
vectors of the composite data required to reconstitute spectral Y 0 = 106769, Z 0 = 123630; X 1 = 1866, Y1 = 1914, Zi
distribution curves of typical daylight of five correlated color
temperatures. = 34810; X 2 = 2133, Y 2 = 762, Z 2:= -2355. Substitution
of these tristimulus values into Eqs. 4 and 5 yielded
Correlated color Scalar multiples of Second both the explicit direct connection between the scalar
temperature first characteristic characteristic multiples for the composite data and the chromaticity
(0 K) vector vector
coordinates of the reconstituted spectral distributions
4800 -1.140 0.677 of irradiance, and the reverse connection as follows:
5500 -0.784 -0.195
6500 -0.293 -0.689
7500 0.145 -0.752 0.30776+0.00561M 1 +0.00641M2
10 000 1.005 -0.378 x=
1.00000+0. I1594Mi+0.00162M2
(4a)
0.32079+0.00575M
1 +0.00229M 2
X may be written: y
1.00000+0.1 1594M1+ 0.00162M2
X= XO+MlXl+M2 X 2 , (3)

value of the mean dis-

- 1.3515- 1.7703x+5.9114y
where X 0 is the X-tristimulus
tribution, and X1 and X 2 are the X-tristimulus values 0.0241+0.2562x- 0. 73 4 1y
of the two characteristic vectors; for example, Xi (5a)
= 7 Vlx.xvZAX.By analogous argument for Y and Z 0.0300- 31.4424x+30.0717y
we may write: 0.0241+0.2562x-0.7341y
Y= YO+MlYl+M2 Y2, (3)
Z= ZO+MlZl+M2 Z 2. SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF DAYLIGHT FOR
VARIOUS CORRELATED COLOR
Note that values of Xo, Yo, Zo are nowhere less than TEMPERATURES
zero, but the tristimulus values of the characteristic To derive a series of related spectral distributions of
vectors may be less than zero because the vectors typical daylight over a considerable range of correlated
themselves (see Table I and Fig. 1) are adjusted to color temperatures from the composite data, values of
zero at 560 nm with both positive and negative values scalar multiples M1 and M2 were computed by in-
for other parts of the spectrum. serting into Eq. (5a) the values of chromaticity co-
The connection between scalar multiples M1 and M2 ordinates x and y given in Table II for typical daylight
and chromaticity coordinates x, y follows directly from chromaticities of correlated color temperatures 48000,
Eq. 3 and from definitions: x=X (X+Y+Z), y
55000, 6500°, 75000, and 10 000)K. Table III shows
= Yj (X+ Y+Z). A convenient form of the connec-
tion, for X+ Y+Z abbreviated as S, is: TABLE IV. Extension of the mean and the first two character-
istic vectors of the composite data given in Table I to the spectral
X 0 /S 0 +MlXl 1/S 0+M2 X2/So ranges 300 to 330 nm and 700 to 830 nm from Moon's compilation
of the spectral absorptance of the earth's atmosphere due to
1+M 1S 1/S 0+M2 S 2 /So ozone and water vapor.
(4)
1 Y
Y 0 /S 0 +MA 1yS 0 +M 21y 2 /So Wavelength
(nm) Mean VI V2
I 1+M 1 S 1 /So+M 2 S 2 /So
300 0.4 0.2 0.0
310 60 45 20
To find the scalar multiples M1 and M2 required to 320 296 224 40
yield a reconstituted spectral distribution of irradiance
having any arbitrarily chosen values x and y of chroma- 330 553 420 85
(See Table I)
ticity coordinates, it is necessary to solve for M1 and 700 743 -133 96
M 2 from Eq. 4. A convenient form of solution is:
710 764 -129 85
720 633 -106 70
XoY 2 -X 2Yo+ (YOS2 - Y 2So)x+ (X2 S0 -XoS 2)y 730 717 -116 76
740 770 -122 80
X2 Y1 -X 1 2 (Y 2 8 1- YlS 2 )x+ (X 1 S 2 -X 2Sl)y 750 652 -102 67
760 477 -78 52
(5) 770 686 -112 74
780 650 -104 68
X1 Yo-XoY 1 + (Y1 SO- YoSi)x+ (XOS1-XiSo)y 790 660 -106 70
M2= 800 610 -97 64
X 2 Y 1 -X 1 Y 2+ (Y2 S 1- YlS 2 )x+ (XlS 2 -X2SS)y 810 533 -83 55
820 589 -93 61
The tristimulus values of the mean of the composite 830 619 -98 65
data and of their first two composite vectors have been
1038 1JUDD, M1 cADAMI, AND \WYSZECKI V
Vol. 54

TABLEV. Relative spectral irradiance of typical daylight istic vectors of the composite data given in Table I in
reconstituted from mean and characteristic vectors of the com-
posite data (Tables I and IV) by the scalar multiples of Table III. accord with Eq. (2a). To extend these spectral dis-
tribution curves to cover the wavelength ranges 300 to
Wavelength Correlated color temperature ( 0 K) 330, and 700 to 830 nm, resort was had to Moon's"2
(nm) 4800 5500 6500 7500 10 000 compilation of data on the spectral absorptance of the
300 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.6 earth's atmosphere due to ozone and water vapor.
310 23 21 33 52 97 Extensions of the mean and first two characteristic
320 68 112 202 298 506
330 132 207 371 550 943
vectors of the composite data in this way are shown
340 163 240 400 573 952 in Table IV. Table V shows the reconstituted spectral
distributions of typical daylight over the extended
350 190 279 450 627 1011
360 218 307 467 630 977 range 300 to 830 nm, and Fig. 3 shows a plot of these
370 246 344 522 703 1091 distributions.
380 215 326 500 668 1010 The spectral distributions of typical daylight were
390 267 382 547 700 1006
also evaluated in an analogous way from the means and
400 446 610 828 1019 1388 first two characteristic vectors derived from the four
410 516 686 916 1119 1515
420 554 716 935 1128 1503
subsets of data (Condit 249, Henderson 274, from 330
430 537 679 868 1033 1346 to 700 nm; Henderson 274, from 330 to 780 nm; and
440 704 856 1049 1211 1518 Budde 99) as a check on the distributions derived
450 827 981 1171 1330 1628
from the composite data comprising all 622 of the
460 864 1004 1178 1323 1594 measured distributions. The agreement within the
470 878 999 1149 1272 1503 spectral range 400 to 700 nm was found to be very
480 916 1026 1159 1269 1469
490 894 980 1088 1177 1344 satisfactory, but the amount of the ultraviolet com-
ponent (330 to 390 nm) indicated by the four subsets
500 936 1007 1094 1165 1300
510 949 1008 1078 1137 1246
of data showed significantly different dependences on
520 959 1000 1049 1086 1156 correlated color temperature. One might be tempted to
530 1011 1042 1077 1105 1153 ascribe these indicated different dependences of ultra-
540 1002 1021 1044 1063 1097 violet content on correlated color temperature to real
550 1020 1030 1040 1049 1064 differences between the atmospheric conditions at
560 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 Rochester, Ottawa, and Enfield, were it not for the
570 979 973 964 956 943
580 995 977 957 942 914 fact that the two Henderson subsets of data (330 to
590 945 914 886 870 848 700 nm and 330 to 780 nm, identical from 330 to 700 nm)
600 993 944 900
also showed this different dependence. It is our view
873 835
610 1012 951 896 862 816 that ultraviolet content is poorly correlated with cor-
620 1014 942 876 836 780 related color temperature, and that the amount of
630 983 904 833 787 726
640 1020 923 837 785 716
ultraviolet indicated by the composite data should be
taken as typical.
650 990 889 800 748 683 In the opinion of the authors, the spectral distribu-
660 1021 903 802 745 673
670 1075 940 822 755 671 tions of irradiance produced by daylight at the earth's
680 1037 900 783 717 638 surface, shown in Fig. 3, are the most typical that can
690 912 797 697 640 567
700 960 829 716 652 573
710 969 849 743 681 602
720 801 702 616 565 500
730 901 793 699 643 572
740 963 850 751 692 617
750 814 719 636 587 524
760 601 528 464 427 379
770 864 759 668 614 545
780 815 718 634 584 520 C,
790 828 729 643 592 527
0)
800 764 674 594 548 488
810 665 587 519 480 429
820 736 650 574 530 472
830 775 683 603 556 496
, . .
. .
.

I0a 400 500 600 700 800

the values of the scalar multiples so obtained. Recon-
stituted spectral distributions were then obtained for
the wavelength range 330 to 700 nm by applying these
scalar multiples to the mean and first two character-
Wavelength,nm
FIG,.3. Spectral distribution of typical daylight for correlated
color temperatures: 48000, 55000, 65000, 75000, and 10 000°K
reconstituted from the mean and the first two characteristic
vectors of the composite data (622 measured distributions).
August1964 SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION OF TYPICAL DAYLIGHT 1039

TABLEVI. Chromaticity coordinates (xy) corresponding to the

measured spectral distributions shown in Figs. 4-6.

Correlated color
temperature Chromaticity coordinates
(0 K) Spectral corresponding to the
(and Fig. number) distribution distribution
o I l 1V-~0,.X01 -0.8001

x y
5500 From Table V 0.3324 0.3475
(Fig. 4) Condit 51 0.3318 0.3465
Henderson 107 0.3324 0.3473
Budde 84 0.3256 0.3334 C U20 D
6500 From Table V 0.3127 0.3291
(Fig. 5) Condit 120 0.3124 0.3285
Henderson 67 0.3116 0.3280
Budde 12 0.3134 0.3295
7500 From Table V 0.2991 0.3150
400 500 I.000 170 00 0C00 600 700
(Fig. 6) Condit 241 0.2982 0.3157 Wavelength,
om
Henderson 247 0.2990 0.3146
Budde 44 0.2968 0.3100 FIG. 4. Comparison of measured spectral distributions of day-
light, whose chromaticities are near0 to that of typical daylight of
correlated color temperature 5500 K, with distributions recon-
stituted from the mean and the first two characteristic vectors
be derived from the experimental data gathered to derived from the composite data (622 measured distributions).
date. Although the initial experimental data employed The measured distribution chosen from each subset of data is
that whose chromaticity point is nearest on the 1960 CIE-UCS
in this analysis refer to different spectral bandwidths diagram to that for typical daylight of correlated color tempera-
of 10 nm and less, the spectral distributions proposed ture 5500'K; see Table VI. Quadrants A, B, and C compare
here should be taken as the average of the true values measured distributions (A-Condit 51; B-Henderson 107; C-
Budde 84) with the reconstitution giving the best least-squares
of spectral irradiance over wavelength intervals of 10 fit. The values of the scalar multiples (ll and M 2) so found are
nm throughout the spectrum relative to that for the indicated together with the variance of the measured distribution
interval 555 to 565 nm with its central wavelength at from the reconstitution. Quadrant D compares all three of these
measured distributions with the reconstituted distribution shown
560 nm. They are recommended as guides in the de- in Fig. 3 for 55000 K.
velopment of sources of artificial daylight that might
be proposed as standard sources for colorimetry; in corresponding to the nine measured curves selected.
particular, the spectral distributions found for corre- Figures 4-6 compare the measured relative spectral
lated color temperatures 55000, 65000, and 7500'K irradiances with the corresponding curves reconstituted
are proposed for the role of target curves to CIE from the mean and first two characteristic vectors by
Committee E-1.3.1 which has already indicated' its applying the scalar multiples. These scalar multiples
intention to develop standard sources of these correlated give the best least-squares fit and are shown on the
color temperatures. Should phases of typical daylight plots. Figures 4-6 also compare (lower right quadrant)
of other correlated color temperatures between 40000 these measured distributions of spectral irradiance with
and 40 000 0 K be desired, derivation of other curves of the reconstituted curves of Fig. 3 and Table V for
this family can be accomplished by means of Eq. 5a by correlated color temperatures 55000, 65000, and 75000K.
substitution of other chromaticity coordinates satisfy- The agreement is seen to be satisfactory. There is no
ing the relation: y=2.870x-3.OOx 2-0.275. Reliable indication that spectral distributions reconstituted from
curves of relative spectral irradiance of the pinker or the mean and the first two characteristic vectors of the
greener phases of daylight may also be derived by
means of Eq. 5a provided that, for 0.25<x<0.38, the
value of the y-coordinate departs from the typical
value by not more than 0.008. This range in y-coor-
dinates includes about 90% of the 622 computed
chromaticities.
COMPARISONS OF A SAMPLING OF THE MEASURED
SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTIONS WITH RECONSTITU-
TIONS FROM THE MEAN AND FIRST TWO
CHARACTERISTIC VECTORS OF THE
COMPOSITE DATA
Measured curves were selected from each subset of
data by taking those whose corresponding chromaticity
points on the 1960 CIE-UCS diagram are closest to
the chromaticity points given in Table II for correlated Wavelength,nm

color temperature 55000, 65000, and 7500'K. Table VI FIG. 5. Same as Fig. 4 except that the correlated color temperature
compares these chromaticity coordinates with those is 6500'K. A-Condit 120; B-Henderson 67; C-Budde 12.
1040 1JUDD, MACADAM, AND WYSZECEId V
Vol. 54

274 Henderson curves, 113; so of the 622 curves

R shown on Fig. 6 for Condit curve 241. The finding that
.9
I
Wovelengfh, nm
FIG. 6. Same as Fig. 4 except that the correlated color temperature
is 7500'K. A-Condit 241; B-Henderson 247; C-Budde 44.
composite data fail importantly to agree ivith measured
spectral distributions corresponding to t'he same chro-
maticity. The variance V(Ex/E56o) for each curve is
shown on the plot. The average variancce for all nine
curves is only 0.0011 which corresponds to a standard
deviation of about 3 to 4 on the scale of 100 at the
normalizing wavelength 560 mu. These curves show
somewhat better than average agreement .The average
variance of the 99 Budde curves is 0.001 8; for the 249
Condit curves, 0.0020; and for the 2'74 Henderson
curves, 0.0053. Perhaps a more striking indication of
the degree to which the individual me;asured curves
agree with the curves reconstituted from the mean and
the first two characteristic vectors is to count the
number of curves having variances no greater than
that (V=0.0028) for Condit curve 241 ';hown on Fig.
6. Of the 99 Budde curves, 89 have varian Lcesno greater
than 0.0028; of the 249 Condit curves, 2.U2;and of the
I I
1.50
a for this correlated color temperature with the spectral
'a
1.00
-
comprising the composite data, 424 agree with the
reconstituted curves more closely than the agreement
the Henderson measured curves agree less well with
their reconstitutions than do the curves measured by
Budde and Condit is to be expected from the longer
time taken by Henderson to scan the spectrum; but
this finding should not be construed to mean that
averages of many Henderson curves corresponding to
nearly the same chromaticity are in error. The assump-
tion by Henderson and Hodgkiss'4 "that a programme
involving many measurements over an extended period
would compensate for the random variations during
any one run" seems to have been amply justified by
the good agreement already noted between curves re-
constituted from the Henderson subsets of data and
the Condit and Budde subsets.
COMPARISON WITH SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION
CURVE DERIVED FOR THE BRITISH
STANDARDS INSTITUTION FOR
COLOR MATCHING AND
APPRAISAL
A Draft British Standard Specification circulated
13 June 1963 for consideration as a revision of British
Standard 950:1941 for artificial daylight for color
matching and color appraisal includes a definition of
the "spectral power distribution of artificial daylight."
This distribution was derived by taking an average of
a group of spectral distributions measured by Hender-
4
son and Hodgkiss.1 These measured spectral distribu-
tions all had chromaticities in the neighborhood of CIE
source C but on the green side of the Planckian locus.
The average curve corresponds to the chromaticity
coordinates: x=0.314, y=0.329. Note that these chro-
maticity coordinates agree well with those derived by
us (x=0.313, y=329; see Table VI) to characterize
typical daylight of correlated color temperature 6500'K.
Figure 7 compares our recommendation (solid curve)
distribution (dotted curve) derived for the British

A Standards Institution and with the spectral distribu-

-a I tion (shown by open circles) derived from the mean
Co
, .50
and first two characteristic vectors of the Henderson
2~
330-780 nm data. The agreement shown is very en-
<,,.5
.- couraging. It demonstrates that, for the spectral range
330 to 700 nm, average daylight agrees well with
) I eI IA 80 British daylight of the same correlated color tempera-
300 400 500 600 700
- .

Wavelength,nm ture. The discrepancies between 700 and 780 nm may

1IG. 7. Comparison of three spectral dlistribut
be at least partially ascribed to the smaller bandwidth
represent typical davlight at a correlated color temperatureof (1.5 compared to 10 nr) used by Henderson and
6500'K. 'the distribution reconstituted from th(e mean and first Hodgkiss, and to the presence of more water vapor in
twvo cbiaracteristic vectors of the composite dat
solid line; this distribution is also shown in Fig.
a is dishtrabuathe Enfield atmosphere than in Rochester and Ottawa
tion reconstituted from the Henderson data for* 330 to 780 nm atmospheres. The good agreement affords a basis for
is shown by open circles, and the distribution derived for the the hope that a single set of related spectral distribu-
British Standards Institution by taking an avers
of measured spectral distributions from the sair e dfataiselshowin tions, such as those presented in this paper, may be
by a dotted line. found suitable for international use.