Abstract
A photometer using a selected silicon photodiode as light detector in the 0.4-1.1 μm spectral range was built and tested at the San Pedro Martir Observatory. BVRI photometry of stars was obtained. From the preliminary results, the use of such devices in astronomy is promising. The instrumentation and techniques are the same as for infrared photodiodes. Thus, silicon diodes complement in a natural way the latter in the short wavelength range of the spectrum. Using a silicon diode and an InSb detector, photometry from 0.3 to 5.5 μm with a single instrument is possible.
