Open AccessHandbook of CCD Astronomy; Cambridge Observing Handbooks for Research Astronomers
Author(s) -
Herkenhoff Ken
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/00eo00373
Subject(s) - astronomy , amateur , physics , telescope , remote sensing , photometer , astronomer , spacecraft , observational astronomy , satellite , galileo (satellite navigation) , geography , archaeology
The advent of charge‐coupled devices (CCDs) has revolutionized astronomical imaging, both from the ground and Earth orbit.The almost perfectly linear response of CCDs to visible and near‐infrared photons has enabled more accurate measurement of a wide variety of astronomical targets, including the surfaces and atmospheres of solar system objects as viewed from spacecraft. The spectacular CCD images returned by the Hubble Space Telescope and interplanetary missions such as Galileo and Mars Pathfinder have captured the attention of the public worldwide and are a testament to the maturity of digital imaging technology. In addition, CCD cameras have become almost commonplace among the tools of amateur astronomers, allowing professional‐quality images to be acquired from backyards all over the world.