Lessons from the Masters: Current Concepts in Astronomical Image Processing (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series, 179)

There are currently thousands of amateur astronomers around the world engaged in astrophotography at a sophisticated level. Their ranks far outnumber professional astronomers doing the same and their contributions both technically and artistically are the dominant drivers of progress in the field today. This book is a unique collaboration of individuals world-renowned in their particular area and covers in detail each of the major sub-disciplines of astrophotography. This approach offers the reader the greatest opportunity to learn the most current information and the latest techniques directly from the foremost innovators in the field today.

“Lessons from the Masters” includes a brilliant body of recognized leaders in astronomical imaging, assembled by Robert Gendler, who delivers the most current, sophisticated and useful information on digital enhancement techniques in astrophotography available today. Each chapter focuses on a particular technique, but the book as a whole covers all types of astronomical image processing, including processing of events such as eclipses, using DSLRs, and deep-sky, planetary, widefield, and high resolution astronomical image processing. Recognized contributors include deep-sky experts such as Jay GaBany, Tony Hallas, and Ken Crawford, high-resolution planetary expert Damian Peach, and the founder of TWAN (The World at Night) Babak A. Tafreshi.

A large number of illustrations (150, 75 in color) present the challenges and accomplishments involved in the processing of astronomical images by enthusiasts.

Robert Gendler is an amateur astrophotographer whose astrophotography has earned him international acclaim. He was featured in the PBS documentary Seeing in the Dark by Timothy Ferris, who called Gendler "one of the greatest astrophotographers in all of history." Robert is known among fellow astrophotographers as a pioneer always exploring ways to push the available technology beyond its limits. He has published two books on astrophotography. The first, A Year in the Life of the Universe (Voyageur Press, 2006), was published in four languages (English, Spanish, Polish, and Greek). He is the author of astrophotography books including Capturing the Stars: Astrophotography by the Masters (Voyageur Press, 2009) and Treasures of the Southern Sky (Springer, 2012) highlights the work of the most accomplished astronomical imagers in the world. Gendler received the Hubble Prize for contributions to astrophotography at the Advanced Imaging Conference at San Jose, California in 2007. Robert lives in Avon, Connecticut with his wife and two children.  His work can be viewed at www.robgendlerastropics.com