E-Book Overview
Capturing the serene beauty of planets, stars, and celestial bodies is both fine art and scientific discovery. Fascinating, challenging, and extremely rewarding, astrophotography is a pursuit that is greatly enhanced by gaining access to the type of detailed instruction this book offers, with charts, tables, over (number of TK) images, and real-life troubleshooting advice in detailed case studies. The Astrophotography Manual is for those astrophotographers who wish to swiftly move beyond using standard SLR cameras and Photoshop, and who are ready to create beautiful images of nebulas, galaxies, clusters, and the solar system.
Beginning with a brief astronomy primer, this book takes readers through the full astrophotography process, from equipment choice and set-up, through image acquisition, image calibration, and processing. Along the way it explains how sensor performance and light pollution relate to image quality and exposure planning. This book will satisfy the technical and practical reader and uses case studies to illustrate the entire process, using a range of equipment (including tablets and smartphones), exploring deep sky and planetary objects, and utilizing a variety of software, including Maxim, Nebulosity, Photoshop, RegiStax and PixInsight.
E-Book Content
The Astrophotography Manual A Practical and Scientific Approach to Deep Space Imaging
Chris Woodhouse
First published 2016 by Focal Press 70 Blanchard Road, Suite 402, Burlington, MA 01803 and by Focal Press 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Focal Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 Chris Woodhouse The right of Chris Woodhouse to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Woodhouse, Chris. The astrophotography manual: a practical and scientific approach to deep space imaging / Chris Woodhouse. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Astronomical photography. I. Title. QB121.W87 2015 522'.63--dc23 2014047121 ISBN: 978-1-138-77684-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-91207-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-77301-8 (ebk) Typeset in Adobe Garamond Pro and Myriad Pro by Chris Woodhouse www.digitalastrophotography.co.uk
Contents Preface About the Author Introduction Astronomy Primer The Diverse Universe of Astrophotography Space Catalogs Four Dimensions and Counting Limits of Perception Choosing Equipment The Ingredients of Success General Equipment Imaging Equipment Setting Up Hardware Setup Software Setup Image Capture Sensors and Exposure Focusing Autoguiding and Tracking Image Calibration and Processing Post Exposure Getting Started in PixInsight Image Calibration and Stacking Line