by Ron Wodaski

The CCD camera has revolutionized the art of astrophotography. CCD cameras are becoming more affordable, and more and more amateur astronomers are capturing the wonders of the heavens in their own backyards. This book will take you by the hand through every part of the CCD imaging process.

A sample chapter is included here online so you can get a feel for how the book organizes and presents information. The focus, if you will pardon the obvious pun, is on providing detailed step-by-step information for beginners and intermediate imagers. You will see exactly how to focus, expose, and process images. Along the way, you'll learn hundreds of tips that will help you get good-looking images in a fraction of the time it would take by trial and error experimentation.

Author's note: I was very disappointed to learn how long it takes to get a book published. In order to make this information available immediately, I am making the book available online before it is published. This allows you to start learning now. Read the sample chapter. If you like what you read, and want the full content of the book online, you can subscribe to the web version of the book for $9.95. You'll also gain access to a CCD discussion group hosted by the author, where you can upload images for feedback, ask questions, talk with other imagers, etc. I have set up a as well as a for anyone who would like to learn more.

• Chapter 1: Using a CCD Camera
• Chapter 2: Practical Focusing
• Chapter 3: Practical Imaging

Part Two: Taking Great Images

• Chapter 4: The Hardware You Need
• Chapter 5: Taking Guided Exposures
• Chapter 6: Increasing Image Quality
• Chapter 7: Color Imaging

Part Three: Image Processing

• Chapter 8: Image Processing Fundamentals
• Chapter 9: Image Processing for Celestial Objects
• Chapter 10: Advanced Image Processing