CCD Chip Performance, CCD Camera Basics, and Image Scaling Factors

Abstract

This chapter discusses the heart of the imaging system, the charge-coupled device (CCD). Topics include how the CCD response compares with that of the human eye, the characteristics of the CCD, and the performance of the CCD within the camera system. The chapter also reviews the different types of CCD camera systems and how each is used to acquire images of different objects. Image scaling is an important aspect of calibrating images to measure the accurate positions of the various objects on the image such as stars, minor planets, moons, and comets. Astrometry is the most fundamental of astronomical topics and is the basis for much of the scientific information about extraterrestrial objects that is available today. Knowledge of image scaling calculations contributes significantly to the ability to obtain accurate position measurements, a fundamental skill in scientific astrophotography. Note—there is some mathematics in this chapter, although nothing more complicated than middle-school algebra.