The Art and Science of CCD Astronomy (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series)

Charge-coupled Devices (CCDs) have revolutionised astronomy. Even affordable CCD cameras can be ten times a sensitive as photographic film, and they deliver a digitised image that is easy to enhance using a personal computer. David Ratledge has brought together contributions from twelve leading amateurs from around the world, people who are routinely producing astronomical images of a quality that rivals those of professional observatories only of 10 years ago. These experts describe their techniques and solutions, and offer essential tips and advice for anyone who is choosing or using a CCD camera. Now glance through the Colour Gallery at the back of this book to see just what they have done! Front Matter....Pages i-xiv An Introduction to CCDs....Pages 1-17 Lunar Imaging with the Cookbook CCD Camera....Pages 19-31 Solar CCD Imaging....Pages 33-48 High-Resolution Planetary Imaging....Pages 49-59 The Comet Watch Program....Pages 61-71 Imaging Comets....Pages 73-80 Nebulae and Galaxies in High Resolution....Pages 81-92 Wide-Field Imaging....Pages 93-100 CCD Imaging from the City....Pages 101-110 Overcoming Light Pollution....Pages 111-121 Tri-Colour CCD Imaging....Pages 123-133 Beyond Pretty Pictures....Pages 135-144 Back Matter....Pages 145-178