ERIC Number: EJ1000741
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Dec
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Astrophotography on the Cheap
Niederriter, Chuck; Belloni, Mario
Physics Teacher, v50 n9 p520-523 Dec 2012
Teaching introductory astronomy means discussing celestial objects that are beyond most students' experience. Simply talking about them is usually not sufficient to convey their size, distance, complexity, and beauty. One way that we introduce our students to celestial objects is through observing sessions, but we have also extended these observing sessions to include astrophotography (AP). This approach relies on recent advances in the field of astrophotography. New computerized tracking and autoguiding mounts and digital still and video photography have made it easier and cheaper to take high-quality astrophotographs. While it is easy to spend $15,000 or more on a single astrophotography setup or even a single device (telescope, camera, and mount), taking simple, short-exposure photos can cost anywhere from $50 to a few hundred dollars depending on how much equipment you already have. (Contains 7 figures.)
Descriptors: Astronomy, Video Technology, Photography, Teaching Methods, Science Instruction, Introductory Courses, Educational Technology, Computer Uses in Education
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://scitation.aip.org/tpt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A