<div><p>Today's photographic equipment allows amateurs to take pictures of the stars that far surpass images taken just a few decades ago by even the largest observatories-and this book will teach you how.<br/><br/>Author and world-renowned astrophotographer Thierry Legault teaches the art and techniques of astrophotography: from simple camera-on-tripod night-scene imaging of constellations, star trails, eclipses, artificial satellites, and polar auroras to more intensive astrophotography using specialized equipment for lunar, planetary, solar, and deep-sky imaging. Legault shares advice on equipment and guides you through techniques to capture and process your images to achieve spectacular results.<br/><br/><i>Astrophotography</i> provides the most thorough treatment of the topic available. This large-format, richly illustrated book is intended for all sky enthusiasts-newcomers and veterans alike.<br/><br/>Learn how to:</p><ul><li>Select the most useful equipment: cameras, adapters, filters, focal reducers/extenders, field correctors, and guide telescopes </li><li>Set up your camera (digital, video, or CCD) and your lens or telescope for optimal results</li><li>Plan your observing sessions</li><li>Mount the camera on your telescope and focus it for razor-sharp images</li><li>Polar-align your equatorial mount and improve tracking for pin-point star images</li><li>Make celestial time-lapse videos</li><li>Calculate the shooting parameters: focal length and ratio, field of view, exposure time, etc.</li><li>Combine multiples exposures to reveal faint galaxies, nebulae details, elusive planetary structures, and tiny lunar craters </li><li>Adjust contrast, brightness, light curves, and colors</li><li>Postprocess your images to fix defects such as vignetting, dust shadows, hot pixels, uneven background, and noise</li><li>Identify problems with your images and improve your results</li></ul></div>