Planetary Imaging for Amateur AstronomersLarry Owens

Astrophotography

•What is Astrophotography?

Astrophotography

•What is Astrophotography?

•Kinds of Astrophotography•Lunar/Planetary•Deep Sky

History of Astrophotography

•The first photograph•1826 Joseph Nicephore Niepce

An 8-hour exposure using a “camera obscura”

History of Astrophotography

•The first photograph•1829

•The first Astrophotographs•1840•John William Draper

History of Astrophotography

•The first photograph•1829

•The first Astrophotographs•1840•John William Draper•1880•Henry Draper

•Important milestone reached!

History of Planetary Astrophotography

•Mars Fever•1880’s - 1907

•Giovanni Schiaparelli•“Canali” 1877

Mars 2007 (Green Light)

History of Planetary Astrophotography

•Mars Fever•1880’s - 1907

•Giovanni Schiaparelli•“Canali” 1877

•Percival Lowell•William Pickering & others

•1907 Expedition to the Andes•Human eye view unmatched by photography•Amazingly true through much of the 20th century!

Lowell Observatory, 1971-1973

Backyard Telescope, 2005

Mt. Wilson1956

Lowell Observatory Sequence,1971

How is it Possible?How is it done?

The Problem with Planetary Imaging

•Planets are very far away•Requiring high magnification

The Problem with Planetary Imaging

•Planets are very far away•Requiring high magnification

•Atmosphere is very turbulent•High magnification also magnifies air turbulence•Like looking at a planet under water (watch the movie)

The Problem with Planetary Imaging

•Planets are very far away•Requiring high magnification

•Atmosphere is very turbulent•High magnification also magnifies air turbulence•Like looking at a planet under water

•Why is the human eye better than photographic film?

The Problem with Planetary Imaging

•Planets are very far away•Requiring high magnification

•Atmosphere is very turbulent•High magnification also magnifies air turbulence•Like looking at a planet under water

•Why is the human eye better than photographic film?•Human eye follows the changes in the image•The brain does some processing to help see details

The Problem with Planetary Imaging

•Planets are very far away•Requiring high magnification

•Atmosphere is very turbulent•High magnification also magnifies air turbulence•Like looking at a planet under water

•Why is the human eye better than photographic film?•Human eye follows the changes in the image•The brain does some processing to help see details

•What type of camera is more like the human eye?

Technology & Today’s Amateur Astronomer

•What do we have now that they didn’t?

Technology & Today’s Amateur Astronomer

•What do we have now that they didn’t?

•Computers and the Internet

Technology & Today’s Amateur Astronomer

•What do we have now that they didn’t?

•Computers and the Internet

•The “CCD” chip (digital photography)

Technology & Today’s Amateur Astronomer

•What do we have now that they didn’t?

•Computers and the Internet

•The “CCD” chip (digital photography)

•Software designed specifically for astronomy

Technology & Today’s Amateur Astronomer

•What do we have now that they didn’t?

•Computers and the Internet

•The “CCD” chip (digital photography)

•Software designed specifically for astronomy

•Telescopes, cameras and computers anyone can afford

How is it Done?

How is it Done?

Take a Movie!

Use a Webcam attached to a telescope

Take a few 5 minute movies

Process the result with special software

How is it Done?

“Stack” the Frames

Take a Movie!

Use a Webcam attached to a telescope

Take a few 5 minute movies

Process the result with special software

Software looks at each frame of movie

Sorts by quality to eliminate bad frames

Creates a single low noise photo

Tools to sharpen and adjust final image

•The transformation

How is it Done?

•The transformation

How is it Done?

•The transformation

How is it Done?

•The transformation

How is it Done?

•Telescopes•Just about any telescope will do•Long focal length best

•Schmidt Cassegrain•Reflectors with barlow

•Needs to have a tracking mount•Equatorial is best

•Cameras•Philips ToUcam (webcam) ~$100•Lumenera Skynyx ~$1000•Imaging Source ~$400•Atik ~$400•CCD Cameras ~$1200 to the cost of a house

•Approximate Investment•Casual interest $1500 (plus laptop)•Serious $10000

Cameras & Telescopes

Software & Processing•Registax

•FREE software available to anyone

•PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements •To do additional cleanup and processing•Add captions and information to your image

Software & Processing•Image Enhancement in Registax

•Performs stacking•Offers enhancement tools such as “wavelet”

Questions…