Astronomical Images

Astronomical Images
Badlands Observatory
(Last Updated on July 10, 2003)

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Astro-Imaging is an extremely demanding discipline that involves at least as much Art as Science. Perfect images are produced only when several ingredients come together in perfect fashion. These include camera focus, excellent optics & optical alignment, steady atmospheric seeing conditions, and perfect guiding/tracking of the telescope ... not to mention processing the images after they have been taken. This final step can sometimes require more effort than acquiring the images in the first place.

Most of the images below represent the very first efforts while the telescope is being adjusted during its preliminary phase of operation. For the time being, black & white (grayscale) images are being taken, but eventually tri-color imaging will also be performed. In all cases, the images were taken at the Newtonian focus of the 26" f/4.8 telescope, using an SBig, ST-8 CCD camera. CCDSoft software was used for camera control and some mild image processing. Of interest to those familiar with CCD imaging, it should be noted that none of these images have been flat fielded and have been made by combining several, short 10-15 second exposures in order to create a longer equivalent exposure. Although certainly not "perfect", these images represent an encouraging beginning for CCD imaging at Badlands Observatory.

M-11 Wild Duck Cluster (Student Image)