Abstract: A continuous-operation automatic device for detection and accurate measurement of the strength of a burst generating an emission from luminous or infrared sources. This device characterizes and analyzes the maxima and minima of a "thermal flux/time" curve. The device comprises a master time element and an assembly of photoelectric detectors, an electronic processing system coupled to the detectors, and a mechanical system securing the rigidity and positioning of the photoelectric detector assembly with respect to an octahedral prism based on a horizontal plane.