Absolute photometric calibration of large aperture optical systems

A method of absolute calibration for the air shower fluorescence detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory is presented, along with preliminary results from prototype equipment. A 2.5 m diameter light source uniformly illuminated by ultra-violet light emitting diodes is calibrated and mounted at the detector aperture. The resulting end-to-end measurement provides a 7% absolute photon calibration at a wavelength of 375 nm.