Comments on “the First Detections of the Extragalactic Background Light at 3000, 5500, and 8000 Å” by Bernstein, Freedman and Madore

A critical discussion is presented of the data analysis applied by Bernstein, Freedman, & Madore (2002a,b) in their measurement of the Extragalactic Background Light. There are questionable assumptions in the analysis of the ground-based observations of the Zodiacal Light. The modeling of the Diffuse Galactic Light is based on an underestimated value of the dust column density along the line of sight. Comparison with the previously presented results from the same observations reveals a puzzling situation: in spite of a large difference in the atmospheric scattered light corrections the derived Extragalactic Background Light values are exactly the same. The claim of the paper of a “detection of the Extragalactic Background Light” appears premature. Subject headings: diffuse radiation – techniques: photometric – dust, extinction