Astrophotography & CCD Imaging
HET609
Overview
To enrol in this unit, you must be accepted into a course from the provider.
Read before you start
Level of study: What does Postgraduate mean?
Postgraduate
EFTSL: What does EFTSL mean?
0.125
Delivery Method: What does delivery method mean?
Fully Online
Prerequisites: What are the prerequisites?
Duration:
13 weeks
Government loans available:
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Domestic student fee:
$1,600.00 (AUD)
International student fee:
$1,825.00 (AUD)
Description
This unit will discuss the principles behind the imaging of astronomical objects with telescopes, conventional cameras and CCD cameras, plus the use of computer techniques for image processing. It will focus particularly on techniques and equipment within reach of the serious amateur astronomer.
Enrolment Restriction
In order to enrol in this unit, you must be accepted into one of the following courses:
If you wish to seek approval to enrol in this unit without being accepted in a course, please contact OUA regarding the process.
Prerequisites
Recommended prerequisites
You are recommended to have completed the following unit(s) or have equivalent knowledge before starting this unit:
- HET603 — Exploring Stars and the Milky Way
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this unit students will be able to:
- understand the fundamental principles and techniques involved in the imaging of astronomical objects with telescopes, conventional cameras and CCD cameras
- understand the use of computer techniques for image processing
- have an awareness of the range of optical astronomical targets available to amateur astronomers
- have a good knowledge of current trends in observing techniques in both amateur and professional astronomy
- discuss basic principles and concepts of astrophotography and CCD imaging in a non-technical way understandable to the wider public; and
- research an astronomy topic in depth, using dependable sources of astronomical information on the internet and/or observational means.
Topics
This unit addresses the following topics.
| Number | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to astronomical coordinate systems |
| 2 | Principles of telescopic imaging |
| 3 | Principles of photographic imaging |
| 4 | Film properties and processing |
| 5 | Digital Astrophotography: principles, equipment, Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras, operation, lenses, detectors |
| 6 | Principles of CCD imaging |
| 7 | Principles of CCD data reduction |
| 8 | Photometry and colours: spectral distributions; atmospheric extinction, dispersion and seeing, filters, standard photometric systems. |
| 9 | Properties of astronomical targets |
| 10 | Future trends in astronomical observing |
Study Resources
This unit is delivered using the following methods and materials:
Instructional Methods
- Discussion Forum/Discussion Board
- Embedded Multimedia
- Online Quizzes/Tests
- Online assignment submission
- Standard Media
- Web links
Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a unit.
Click on the titles of the listed books below to find out more:
Required textbooks
Recommended textbooks
Relevant Courses
This unit is a core requirement in the following courses:
This unit is an approved elective in the following courses:
This unit may be eligible for credit towards other courses:
- Many undergraduate courses on offer through OUA include 'open elective' where any OUA unit can be credited to the course. You need to check the Award Requirements on the course page for the number of allowed open electives and any level limitations.
- In other cases, the content of this unit might be relevant to a course on offer through OUA or elsewhere. In order to receive credit for this unit in the course you will need to supply the provider institution with a copy of the Unit Profile in the approved format, which you can download here. Note that the Unit Profile is set at the start of the year, and if textbooks change this may not match the Unibooks textbook list.
