Preface

Summary

The purpose of this book is to tell you how to photograph the sky with simple techniques and affordable equipment.

Astrophotography is easier today than when I wrote the first edition of this book fifteen years ago. Telescopes are better built, and films have far less reciprocity failure. Many off-the-shelf consumer films are better than the Kodak Spectroscopic emulsions used by astronomers in the past.

Most cameras, however, have become less suitable for astrophotography and harder to use. Many of the newest cameras can't make time exposures without running down their batteries, and the beginning astrophotographer needs more advice about choosing a good camera. This has accordingly been added to Chapter 9.

Meanwhile, digital imaging has come on the scene, and two chapters have been added to cover it. I've had to be careful because digital technology is still changing rapidly. Nonetheless, digital image processing is our most promising new technique, and even if you don't have a computer, you can make digitally enhanced prints at a workstation at the local camera store. With digital technology, I've concentrated on underlying principles rather than specific equipment.