This book de-mystifies the jargon of webcams and computer processing, and provides detailed hints and tips for imaging the Sun, Moon and planets with a webcam. It demonstrates how inexpensive technologies are revolutionizing imaging

This book aims to de-mystify the jargon of webcams and computer processing and provides detailed hints and tips for imaging the Sun, Moon and planets with a webcam. It demonstrates how inexpensive technology is revolutionizing imaging in amateur astronomy. These advances have enabled anyone with a modest telescope and a webcam to obtain jaw-dropping lunar and planetary images to rival those taken with cameras costing thousands of dollars. A glance through the images in this book shows just what spectacular results can be achieved by using a webcam with a telescope. Each observing target is dealt with separately, so specialized techniques are explained in context. The book further explains how webcams can be connected direct to a PC so that software can be used to "stack" multiple images, providing a stunning increase in image quality.

Enables anyone with a modest telescope and a webcam to obtain jaw-dropping lunar and planetary images to rival those taken with mid-range astronomical CCD cameras costing $1000 or more Enables you to contribute scientific results about the Solar Systemresults that professional astronomers want De-mystifies - in an easy-to-read way - the jargon of webcams and computer processing Filled with the experts' hints and tips on imaging (and understanding) the Moon and planets with a webcam Each observing target is dealt with separately, so specialised techniques are explained in context

Autorentext

Martin Mobberley is a well-known amateur astronomer from Suffolk, England, who joined the British Astronomical Association in 1969, aged eleven, initially as a visual observer. Since the early 1980s he has been a regular photographer and imager of comets, planets, asteroids, variable stars, novae, and supernovae. He served as one of the youngest presidents of the British Astronomical Association, from 1997 to 1999, and in 2000 he was presented with the association's Walter Goodacre Award. In 1997 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named asteroid number 7239 as 'Mobberley' in recognition of Martin's contribution to amateur astronomy. Martin is the sole author of seven previous practical astronomy books published by Springer as well as three children's 'Space Exploration' books published by Top That Publishing. In addition he has authored hundreds of articles in the UK magazine Astronomy Now and numerous other astronomical publications, as well as appearing from time to time on Patrick Moore's long-running BBC TV program The Sky at Night.

Inhalt
The Solar System: A Brief Introduction.- Webcams, Plus a Quick Start Guide.- High-Resolution Essentials.- Planetary Imagers Worldwide.- Have Webcam, Will Travel.- Planetary Webcams and Their Alternatives.- A Beginner's Guide to Using a Webcam.- Detailed Image Processing, Colors and LRGB.- Advanced Stacking of Rippling AVI Frames.- Imaging the Moon.- Imaging Mercury and Venus.- Imaging Mars.- Imaging Jupiter.- Imaging Saturn.- Imaging Uranus and Neptune.- Imaging the Sun.