Introduction to Astro Imaging

#Life #Members #CNSV #astronomy #Astro #Imaging

Given that one can download finished images from JPL, why do amateur astronomers build complex imaging systems? It is very fulfilling to process color images of galaxies and nebulae even in Santa Clara Valley skies.

I have been interested in astronomy since the age of 10, Francesco first pointed a camera at the night sky while he was in high school. After studying physics and astrophysics in college, he took on a career in software engineering and set astronomy aside for about 20 years. In 2016 he revived the sleeping interest and found that technology had revolutionized astrophotography. Today Francesco takes pictures of the skies in broad and narrow band with small telescopes from his backyard and from darker sky locations around the Bay Area.

Here is a preliminary outline of the topics that will be covered:

Brief introduction to Astronomy - viewing the galaxy from a place on the earth
    stars appear to rotate
    the equatorial coordinate system to compensate for this

The birth of astrophysics
    spectral signatures
    spectral lines - what are they
    historical observations
    modern explanations
    implications of which places might have earthlike elements that are needed for life. 
    Stellar Evolution

Why narrowband imaging instead of RGB?
    narrowband filters vs RGB
    What kinds of imaging sensors to use
Where do you need to go to see very distant deep space objects?
    Cutting through city lights with a combination of narrowband filters, notch filters for sodium, and averaging hundreds of images over several hours.
    Selectivity, Contrast, and Detail
    The entire concept is the same as Signal to Noise ratio in communications

How to guide the telescope to track it precisely over several hours

How to capture the image data
    filters and exposures

Brief Introduction to image processing