Short description:

Patrick Moore?s Practical Astronomy Series

DIGITAL ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

The State of the Art

This book is the successor to David Ratledge?s much-acclaimed The Art and Science of CCD Astronomy.

CCD cameras and their associated technologies have continued to make great strides since the original book was first published almost eight years ago, particularly in the universal availability of color cameras and in the dramatically lower cost of equipment.

Digital Astrophotography: The State of the Art provides examples of the latest and best images, and describes how to get the best out of this extraordinary technology.

Experts in CCD astronomy from North America and Europe have contributed, illustrating their help and advice with many beautiful color images. The techniques explained here range from the use of inexpensive webcams, through to highly technical aspects such as supernovae patrolling. Computer processing, stacking and image-enhancement are also detailed, along with many hints and tips from the experts.

Long description:

In the years since The Art and Science of CCD Astronomy was ?rst published, digital imaging has been transformed from what was, in reality, a minority int- est to mainstream. Not even the most committed of CCD devotees could have predicted the few years it would take for digital imaging to supplant ?lm. We all probably guessed that a new age was dawning, but the speed at which silicon sensors came to dominate the photography market was simply staggering. New areas also appeared. No one predicted webcams would become the instrument of choice for imaging the planets. Afocal photography re-emerged in digital format. For mainstream imaging, color has become almost the norm. It was therefore time for a new book ? and one in color! If you read the astronomical magazines, you are, no doubt, familiar with the names and images of our contributors. Sky & Telescope, Astronomy, Night Sky, Astronomy Now and other leading magazines from around the world have all included their work, in terms of both images for their gallery sections and feature articles.

From the reviews:

"This colourful book is yet another addition to the forty-strong library of ?Patrick Moore?s Practical Astronomy Series? produced by Springer. ? it is a very interesting book and the colour illustrations are excellent and beautifully reproduced. Undoubtedly it will inspire many beginners to find out much more information about astronomical imaging." (Martin Mobberley, Astronomy Now, February, 2006)

"This compendium by S&T contributing editor David Ratledge offers a mother lode of practical information for imaging neophytes, but expert sky shooters can pick up a lot of useful tips as well. Its 11 chapters are lavishly illustrated, often in color, and they cover a wide range of techniques ? . Ratledge?s ambitious goal of covering ?the state of art? is laudable ? ." (Edwin Aguirre, Sky & Telescope, March, 2008)

"This is certainly a book to inspire. Ratledge has used many of the acknowledged experts in the field, each of whom has written a chapter on their own particular specialisation. ? I can thoroughly recommend this book. Many excellent images are included and the reproduction in colour is very good. If you are new to digital imaging it will help you get started. If you are already an ?expert? it will inspire you to higher things ? ." (Nick James, Journal of the British Astronomical Association, Vol. 116 (4), 2006)

Table of Contents:

Afocal Photography with Digital Cameras.- An Introduction to Webcam Imaging.- Long-Exposure Webcams and Image Stacking Techniques.- Deep-Sky Imaging with a Digital SLR.- IRIS: Astronomical Image-Processing Software.- High-Resolution Imaging of the Planets.- High-Resolution CCD Imaging.- Out-Smarting Light Pollution.- The Hybrid Image: A New Astro-Imaging Philosophy.- Amateur Spectroscopy in the 21st Century.- Successful Patrolling for Supernovae.