We present the most successful infrared cloud monitor for a robotic
telescope. This system was originally developed for the MAGNUM 2-m telescope,
which has been achieving unmanned and automated monitoring observation of
active galactic nuclei at Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Maui since 2001.
Using a thermal imager and two aspherical mirrors, it at once sees almost the
whole sky at a wavelength of λ∼10μm. Its outdoor part is
weather-proof and is totally maintenance-free. The images obtained every one or
two minutes are analysed immediately into several ranks of weather condition,
from which our automated observing system not only decides to open or close the
dome, but also selects what types of observations should be done. The whole-sky
data accumulated over four years show that 50−60 % of all nights are
photometric, and about 75 % are observable with respect to cloud condition at
Haleakala. Many copies of this system are now used all over the world such as
Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Atacama in Chile, and Okayama and Kiso in Japan.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in PAS