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G. R. Chester (U.S. Naval Observatory)
The Charge-Coupled Device, or CCD, has become the workhorse of astronomical image data collection, and its use has now begun to pervade the ranks of amateur astronomers. Unfortunately, commercial CCD's intended for amateur astronomical imaging are prohibitively expensive for many individuals and school systems of modest means. However, recent developments in digital imaging hardware and software have brought this capability into a price range that anybody can afford. I will present the results of recent work with a small CCD camera designed for use as a "Web Cam". By utilizing this very modest device and the enormous power of image-processing software, anyone with a telescope and a little patience can take lunar and planetary images of superb clarity and detail. With slight modification to the camera circuitry, deep-sky imagery is also possible.
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The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: grc@usno.navy.mil