Electronic Imaging in Astronomy: Detectors and Instrumentation (Springer Praxis Books / Astronomy and Planetary Sciences)

The second edition of Electronic Imaging in Astronomy: Detectors and Instrumentation describes the remarkable developments that have taken place in astronomical detectors and instrumentation in recent years -- from the invention of the charge-coupled device (CCD) in 1970 to the current era of very large telescopes, such as the Keck 10-meter telescopes in Hawaii with their laser guide-star adaptive optics which rival the image quality of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Authored by one of the world’s foremost experts on the design and development of electronic imaging systems for astronomy, this book has been written on several levels to appeal to a broad readership. Mathematical expositions are controlled to encourage a wider audience, especially among the growing community of amateur astronomers who own small telescopes with CCD cameras. The book can be used at the college level for a one semester introductory course on modern astronomical detectors and instruments, and as a supplement for a practical or laboratory class. But it also provides the core of a one semester course on astronomical instrumentation for new graduate (PhD) students who may very soon be faced with using, or even building, electronic imaging systems.

The book contains worked examples, problems & solutions, end-of-chapter references and a glossary.

It is hard to imagine someone who would get something useful out of every chapter; the ultra beginner could learn the basics better elsewhere, but would find the technical chapters hard slogging, while the CCD enthusiast will make the complementary choices.

Exercises suggest the author may have imagined this to be a text book, but the poor general coverage and excellent technical coverage make this instead a reference for techies.