Al Kelly's CCD Astrophotography Page
WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF
CCD ASTRONOMY!
(Last updated
on June 12 , 2008)
On the left is Thor's Helmet as seen by my MX916 CCD
camera. On the right is the Celestron CGE 1400 telescope
which allowed the camera to have the view. My latest images
were made with this equipment.
The goal of this web site is to
promote CCD astrophotography by amateur astronomers. I am a
member of the Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society
(JSCAS) CCD special interest group (SIG), which also exists
for this purpose. The JSCAS CCD SIG invites anyone interested
to participate with us in using CCD cameras for
astrophotography. For more information, e-mail 
On
the left is the Ring Nebula as seen by my old CB245 CCD camera.
On the right is the 32" Newtonian telescope which used to
reside in my Danciger,
Texas observatory and allowed this
camera to have such a view. This telescope now belongs to the Alliance for
Astronomy. Many of the images on this
site were made by this instrument. Some of the other images here
were made with my 17.5" Newtonian in a previous version of
my Backyard
Observatory.
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INSTRUCTIONS ON TAKING
AND PROCESSING CCD IMAGES.....
Click here to read a BASIC
INSTRUCTION MANUAL on acquiring and processing astronomical
CCD images. This is a living electronic document constantly
undergoing improvement.
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G2V-CALIBRATED COLOR
IMAGING
In 1998, four of us were pleased to present our development of
color CCD astro-image calibration and processing techniques,
including white-balancing with Solar-analog (G2V) star data,
atmospheric extinction correction, and foreground sky color
neutralization. The article also discussed the use of CYAN, MAGENTA, and YELLOW filters rather than the traditional
Red, Green, and Blue filters. If you wish to learn more, click
here to see the FINAL DRAFT of the article which appeared in the
December, 1998 issue of Sky and Telescope. (I updated this draft on May 21, 2000
to reflect an improved method for CMY data conversion)
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Most of the color composite
images on this web site have been produced using AIP for Windows
and Photoshop. AIP is a superb image processing program written
by RICHARD BERRY and JIM BURNELL and available from Willmann-Bell. Here is a Powerpoint presentation
on the basic steps in making such composites, emphasizing the use
of downloaded DSS images: DSS
COLOR PROCESSING .'
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Here is a selection of RECENT images. Just click on one to see the
enlarged version and use your browser's "BACK" icon to
return here (dozens of other images are accessible by object type
in the table below these images or via the header table at the
top of this page):
L/RGB image of galaxy NGC 4448 and background galaxies inComa
Berenices, made from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight
Express MX916, Lodestar autoguider, and a Celestron CGE 1400 at
f5.5 on 6/6/08 from the Texas Star Party near Fort Davis, Texas,
using Astrodon CRGB filters. Eight 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, five 420-second subexposures in red, three
420-second subexposures in green, and four 420-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of open cluster NGC 6520 and dark nebula B86 in
Sagittarius, made from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight
Express MX916, Lodestar autoguider, and a Celestron CGE 1400 at
f5.5 on 6/6/08 from the Texas Star Party near Fort Davis, Texas,
using Astrodon CRGB filters. Three 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, five 240-second subexposures in red, three
240-second subexposures in green, and four 240-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of reflection nebulae NGC 6914 and 6914A, surrounded
by emission nebulae and dust in Cygnus, made from images taken by
Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916, Lodestar autoguider, and
a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 6/5/08 from the Texas Star Party
near Fort Davis, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Eight
600-second clear-filtered subexposures, five 420-second
subexposures in red, three 420-second subexposures in green, and
four 420-second subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart
and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of planetary nebula PK318+41.1 in Virgo, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916, Lodestar
autoguider, and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 6/5/08 from the
Texas Star Party near Fort Davis, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Nine 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, five
300-second subexposures in red, three 300-second subexposures in
green, and four 300-second subexposures in blue were self-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of spiral galaxy NGC 4725 in Coma Betenices, made
from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916,
Lodestar autoguider, and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 6/3/08
from the Texas Star Party near Fort Davis, Texas, using Astrodon
CRGB filters. Eleven 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, five
480-second subexposures in red, three 480-second subexposures in
green, and four 480-second subexposures in blue were self-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of open cluster NGC 6819 in Cygnus (the "Foxface
Cluster"), made from images taken by Al Kelly with a
Starlight Express MX916, Lodestar autoguider, and a Celestron CGE
1400 at f5.5 on 6/2/08 from the Texas Star Party near Fort Davis,
Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Five 240-second subexposures
in red, three 240-second subexposures in green, and four
240-second subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and
processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of spiral galaxy NGC 4535 in Virgo, made from images
taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916, Lodestar
autoguider, and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 6/2/08 from the
Texas Star Party near Fort Davis, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Nine 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, five
420-second subexposures in red, three 420-second subexposures in
green, and four 420-second subexposures in blue were self-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of globular cluster M19 in Ophiucus, made from images
taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916, Lodestar
autoguider, and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 6/1/08 from the
Texas Star Party near Fort Davis, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Nine 300-second clear-filtered subexposures, five
240-second subexposures in red, three 240-second subexposures in
green, and four 240-second subexposures in blue were self-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of globular cluster M53 in Coma Berenices, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 4/29/08 and 5/3/08 from
Friendswood, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Fourteen
600-second clear-filtered subexposures, eight 480-second
subexposures in red, five 480-second subexposures in green, and
six 480-second subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart
and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of spiral galaxy NGC 3344 in Leo Minor, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 04/04/08 and 04/05/08 from Fort
McKavett, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Ten 600-second
clear-filtered subexposures, Fifteen 300-second subexposures in
red, ten 300-second subexposures in green, and ten 300-second
subexposures in blue were auto-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of star cluster M46 with planetary nebula NGC 2438 in
Puppis, made from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight
Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 04/04/08 from
Fort McKavett, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Five
600-second subexposures in red, three 600-second subexposures in
green, and four 600-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of nebulous star cluster IC 2172 in Monoceros, made
from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and
a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 02/09/08 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Nine 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, ten
240-second subexposures in red, six 240-second subexposures in
green, and seven 240-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of the "Butterfly" planetary nebula NGC
2346 in Monoceros, made from images taken by Al Kelly with a
Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on
02/09/08 from Jack Petersen's observatory near Johnson City,
Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Ten 300-second clear-filtered
subexposures, five 300-second subexposures in red, three
300-second subexposures in green, and four 300-second
subexposures in blue were auto-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of Hind's Crimson Star, a spectral class C7 carbon
star in Lepus, made from images taken by Al Kelly with a
Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on
02/08/08 from Jack Petersen's observatory near Johnson City,
Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Ten 30-second subexposures in
red, six 30-second subexposures in green, and seven 30-second
subexposures in blue were auto-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of spiral galaxy NGC 3521 in Leo, made from images
taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron
CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 02/08/08 from Jack Petersen's observatory
near Johnson City, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB filters. Six
600-second clear-filtered subexposures, six 300-second
subexposures in red, four 300-second subexposures in green, and
five 300-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided in Astroart
and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of barred spiral galaxy NGC 2336 in Camelopardalis,
made from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916
and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 02/07/08 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Eleven 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, ten
300-second subexposures in red, six 300-second subexposures in
green, and seven 300-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of open cluster NGC 2506 in Monoceros, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 02/06/08 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Three 240-second clear-filtered subexposures, five
120-second subexposures in red, three 120-second subexposures in
green, and three 120-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
* LR/RGB image of supernova remnant IC443 in Gemini, made from
red, blue, amd green (visual) DSS plates. Processed in AIP4WIN
and Photoshop. See LARGE for a higher resolution image.
* LR/RGB image of emission nebulae SH2-231, SG2-232, and SH2-135
in Auriga, made from red, blue, amd green (visual) DSS plates.
Processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop. See LARGE for a higher resolution image.
L/RGB image of planetary nebula M76 in Perseus, made from images
taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron
CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 12/30/07 from Friendswood, Texas, using
Astrodon CRGB filters. Nine 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, eight 240-second subexposures in red, six
240-second subexposures in green, and six 240-second subexposures
in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and
Photoshop.
L/RGB image of dwarf irregular galaxy IC 10 in Cassiopeia, made
from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and
a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 12/16/07 from Friendswood, Texas,
using Astrodon CRGB filters. Ten 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, ten 240-second subexposures in red, six 240-second
subexposures in green, and seven 240-second subexposures in blue
were self-guided in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and
Photoshop.
L/RGB image of emission nebula NGC 1491 in Perseus, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 12/05/07 from Friendswood, Texas,
using Astrodon CRGB filters. Nine 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, ten 240-second subexposures in red, six 240-second
subexposures in green, and seven 240-second subexposures in blue
were self-guided in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and
Photoshop.
L/RGB image of open star cluster IC 166 in Cassiopeia, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 12/04/07 from Friendswood, Texas,
using Astrodon CRGB filters. Seven 240-second clear-filtered
subexposures, ten 120-second subexposures in red, six 120-second
subexposures in green, and seven 120-second subexposures in blue
were self-guided in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and
Photoshop.
L/RGB image of planetary nebula NGC 7139 in Cepheus, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 11/09/07 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Nine 300-second clear-filtered subexposures, eight
180-second subexposures in red, five 180-second subexposures in
green, and six 180-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of emission nebula SH2-140 in Cepheus, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 11/08/07 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Six 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, ten
240-second subexposures in red, six 240-second subexposures in
green, and seven 240-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of emission nebula SH2-235 in Auriga, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 11/08/07 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Astrodon CRGB
filters. Six 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, ten
240-second subexposures in red, six 240-second subexposures in
green, and seven 240-second subexposures in blue were auto-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
RGB image of Comet 17P/Holmes, made from images taken by Al Kelly
with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4
on 11/03/07 from Friendswood, Texas, using Astrodonr RGB filters.
A series of fifteen-second exposures through red, green, and
blue-filters were acquired in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN
and Photoshop. R:G:B = 2.5:1.5:1.75 minutes. See ANIMATION for the changed comet appearance since
10/27/2007.
L/RGB image of faint spiral galaxy NGC 7640 in Andromeda, made
from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and
a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.5 on 11/01/07 from Friendswood, Texas,
using Astrodon CRGB filters. Twenty-one 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, ten 540-second subexposures in red, six 540-second
subexposures in green, and seven 540-second subexposures in blue
were self-guided in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and
Photoshop.
L/RGB image of planetary nebula NGC 7662 in Andromeda, known as
the "Blue Snowball", made from images taken by Al Kelly
with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4
on 10/20/07 from Friendswood, Texas, using Schuler RGcBc filters.
Seven 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, four 480-second
subexposures in red, three 480-second subexposures in green, and
five 480-second subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart
and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
RGB image of Comet 17P/Holmes, made from images taken by Al Kelly
with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4
on 10/28/07 from Friendswood, Texas, using Schuler RGcBc filters.
A series of sixty-second exposures through red, green, and
blue-filters were acquired in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN
and Photoshop. R:G:B = 4:3:5 minutes.
L/RGB image of globular cluster M28 in Sagittarius, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4 on 8/09/07 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Schuler RGcBc
filters. Three 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, four
300-second subexposures in red, three 300-second subexposures in
green, and five 300-second subexposures in blue were self-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of spiral galaxy NGC 7606 in Aquarius, made from
images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a
Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4 on 8/09/07 from Jack Petersen's
observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using Schuler RGcBc
filters. Nine 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, four
600-second subexposures in red, three 600-second subexposures in
green, and five 600-second subexposures in blue were self-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of open cluster NGC 7142 in Cepheus, made from images
taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron
CGE 1400 at f5.4 on 8/10/07 from Jack Petersen's observatory near
Johnson City, Texas, using Schuler RGcBc filters. Four 240-second
clear-filtered subexposures, four 150-second subexposures in red,
three 150-second subexposures in green, and five 150-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
* LR/RGB image of a beautiful region of the Milky Way in Aquila.
This region includes emission nebula SH2-72, globular cluster NGC
6749, planetary nebula SH2-71, dust nebula B-329, and countless
galactic stars. Made from red, blue, and green (visual) DSS
images. Processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop. This image comprises
an area about 1.9 degrees square.
* LR/RGB image of the Supernova Remnant Veil Nebula in Cygnus,
made from red, blue, and green (visual) DSS images. Processed in
AIP4WIN and Photoshop. This image comprises an area about 2.75
degrees square.
* LR/RGB image of emission nebula SH2-132 in Cepheus, made from
red, blue, and green (visual) DSS images. Processed in AIP4WIN
and Photoshop.
* LR/RGB image of open cluster NGC 6823 imbedded in emission
nebula NGC 6820 in Vulpecula, made from red, blue, and green
(visual) DSS images. Processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of the Mare Fecunditatis region of the Moon, made
from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and
a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4 on 4/21/07 from Friendswood, Texas,
using Schuler RGcBc filters. Single 0.01-second exposures through
red, green, and blue-filters were acquired in Astroart and
processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of galaxy M96 in Leo, made from images taken by Al
Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at
f5.4 on 4/15/07 and 4/20/07 from Friendswood, Texas, using
Schuler RGcBc filters. Eighteen 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, four 600-second subexposures in red, three
600-second subexposures in green, and five 600-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of galaxies NGC 3169, 3166, and 3165 in Sextans, made
from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and
a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4 on 4/12/07 from Friendswood, Texas,
using Schuler RGcBc filters. Seventeen 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, four 600-second subexposures in red, three
600-second subexposures in green, and five 600-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
Pseudo-L/RGB image of galaxy M81 with foreground Milky Way IFN
(Integrated Flux Nebulae) and ERE (Extended Red Emission), made
by Al Kelly from downloaded DSS images. Luminance was processed
from a stack of all downloads (R+R+B+B+V+IR), while chrominance
was processed as R : G : B = R+R+IR : V+(R+B) : B+B. All
processing was in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of galaxy NGC 2613 in Pyxis, made from images taken
by Al Kelly with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE
1400 at f5.4 on 3/17/07 from Fort McKavett, Texas, using Schuler
RGcBc filters. Seven 600-second clear-filtered subexposures, four
360-second subexposures in red, three 360-second subexposures in
green, and five 360-second subexposures in blue were self-guided
in Astroart and processed in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of emission nebula Sharpless 2-311 with imbedded star
cluster NGC 2467 in Puppis, made from images taken by Al Kelly
with a Starlight Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4
on 2/15/07 from Jack Petersen's observatory near Johnson City,
Texas, using Schuler RGcBc filters. Three 600-second
clear-filtered subexposures, four 240-second subexposures in red,
three 240-second subexposures in green, and five 240-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of interacting galaxies NGC2207 and IC2163 in Canis
Major, made from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight
Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4 on 2/15/07 from
Jack Petersen's observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using
Schuler RGcBc filters. Eight 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, four 420-second subexposures in red, three
420-second subexposures in green, and five 420-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
L/RGB image of "Thor's Helmet", NGC 2359, in Canis
Major, made from images taken by Al Kelly with a Starlight
Express MX916 and a Celestron CGE 1400 at f5.4 on 2/17/07 from
Jack Petersen's observatory near Johnson City, Texas, using
Schuler RGcBc filters. Eleven 600-second clear-filtered
subexposures, four 480-second subexposures in red, three
480-second subexposures in green, and five 480-second
subexposures in blue were self-guided in Astroart and processed
in AIP4WIN and Photoshop.
============================================================
ALL IMAGES
PROCESSED BY THE AUTHOR (AL KELLY) FOR THIS WEBSITE FROM DSS
(DIGITIZED SKY SURVEY) DATA ARE SUBJECT TO THE COPYRIGHT
PROVISIONS SHOWN AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: http://archive.stsci.edu/dss/copyright.html .
THE THUMBNAIL
DESCRIPTIONS FOR ALL SUCH IMAGES ARE DENOTED BY AN *
=============================================================
About CCDs and
Astrophotography
- A Charge-Coupled
Device (CCD) is a silicon-wafer electronic component
which was developed and first manufactured in 1970. Its
key characteristic is the ability to use the
photoelectric effect to efficiently convert impinging
photons to electrons, which can be stored and counted.
During the 70's CCDs were used to make the first
experimental all-digital astronomical images at visible
wavelengths. In the 80's CCDs began to establish
dominance as the primary detectors at the focus of
professional telescopes. In the 90's and early 00's the
CCD explosion reached the marketplace of amateur
astronomers with many commercial instruments available,
such as the Santa Barbara Instruments Group (SBIG),
Starlight XPress, and Apogee line of cameras. Also in the
90's, The CCD Camera Cookbook
by Richard Berry, Veikko Kanto, and John Munger
established itself as an invaluable tutorial for the
construction of inexpensive, high-quality CCD cameras for
amateur astronomers. Much as with the now-venerable
practice of amateur telescope making, CCD astronomers
found that doing- it-yourself yielded excellent
equipment, low cost, and immense satisfaction. Although
the Cookbook Camera technology now is essentially
obsolete, its application led to significant imaging
advances by amateurs.
Although many astronomers emphasize the differences among
visual astronomy, film astrophotography, and CCD
astrophotography, there are more basic similarities than
differences. In each case there is a system for rendering
a graphic portrayal of the light coming from a distant
object. For the eye it is the brain's visual cortex and
memory; for film it is millions of light- sensitive
halide crystals and chemical processing of plastic and
paper materials; and for the CCD it is an array of
thousands (or millions!) of light-sensitive silicon cells
and computerized digital processing of generated
electrons. Each system provides best results under dark
skies, with steady atmospheric conditions, and using the
best quality optics. Each system depends on a high
signal-to-noise ratio to discriminate the desired image
(signal) from random confusion (noise)....garbage
in, garbage out always applies.
Click the following items for more detailed information:
=============================================================
To learn about the
Cookbook CCD Camera system click on the Cookbook
Camera Home Page
=============================================================
Active links
to other astronomy resources on the Internet
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Astronomical Image Research Library
Adam Block's Images from the Kitt Peak
Public Observing Program
Doug Clapp's Astronomy and ST-6 CCD
Imaging Page
Robert Dalby's Hundred Foot Observatory
Page
Fort Bend Astronomy Club
("Bendonites") Home Page
Rob Gendler's Astroimaging Homepage
Ed Grafton's CCD Imaging Page
"Doc" Greiner's Astronomy
Information Page
Dietmar Hager's Astroimages
IAU: Central Bureau for Astronomical
Telegrams
JSCAS Home Page
Steve Lee's Astronomy and CCD Home Page
Jeff MacQuarrie's CCD Images Page
Dr. Fabio Marino's Astronomy and CCD
Home Page
William McClaughlin's CCD Images
Dick Miller's Website on Arp Peculiar
Galaxies
Northeast Kansas Amateur Astronomers'
League (NEKAAL) Home Page
Kunihiko Okano's CCD Gallery Home Page
Michel Peyro's Astronomy and CCD Home
Page
Arnie Rosner's Rent-a-Scope Website
Gregg Ruppel's Astronomy Page
Johannes Schedler's Astrophotography
Page
Michael Stecker's Website of
Astrophotogrpahers
Space Telescope Science Institute
(STScI) Digitized Sky Survey
Latest STScI Images from the Hubble
Space Telescope
Useful Formulas for Astronomers and
Astrophotographers
UTAH SKIES Website
John Vicker's Back River Observatory and
CCD Atlas Page
Dennis Webb's Amazing Arpgalaxy Page
Rob West's CCD Images Page
