Customer Reviews

Electronic Imaging in Astronomy: Detectors and Instrumentation (Wiley-Praxis Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have worked most of my career in scientific detectors for astronomy, for both ground and space, and my career includes positions at some of the major ground-based astronomical observatories (European Southern Observatory, W.M. Keck Observatory), and I now work at a leading detector manufacturer. I am a collector of books on technology for astronomical imaging, and Ian McLean's book is the best introduction and reference I have found for electronic imaging in astronomy. Ian McLean's book provides an excellent introduction to those who wish to learn about electronic imaging and it is a very good reference for those working in astronomy and other fields that require high performance imaging. The information on instrumentation and detectors is both broad and deep, with excellent compilation of references for those who seek more detail. I have ordered 3 copies of this book for my colleagues at work, and this book is often referenced in our discussions. I strongly recommend Professor McLean's book.

James W. Beletic, Ph.D.
Director of Astronomy & Civil Space
Teledyne Imaging Sensors

If you have even a little bit of interest in learning about imaging technology in the field of Astronomy then this is definitely the first book you should be grabbing. What really separates this book from others like it is how its meticulously set up for all levels of experience and interest. In other words whether your a seasoned professional, a college student, or just an amateur backyard astronomer, this book has something to offer you.

If there was ever a time for a book like this its now as imaging technology in general has seen just massive breakthroughs in recent years and astronomy is one of the fields that has really benefited the most from such breakthroughs. In fact one could argue that astronomy has actually benefited more from such breakthroughs than photography itself. Of course photography is a huge part of astronomy so such arguments are pretty much futile. The bottom line is that imaging in astronomy is light years ahead of where it was even 20 years ago and this book will bring you up to date in regards to those technologies. It covers everything from the invention of CCD's right up to the use of adaptive optics. Overall Its extremely well written and is packed with a lot of great diagrams and mathematical equations.

I am actually an architectural photographer but I have been getting into astrophotography more and more in recent years and its now to the point where its one of my main focuses in regards to my personal work. A little while back I just really started getting the urge to learn about this technology from the ground up and I have been doing just that ever since. I have now read 4 different books on CCD's and imaging technology and this book is easily the best one I have read yet. If you want to take your understanding of such technologies to the next level then this is without a single doubt the place to start. Even if you already have a good understanding of such material, this book will still have plenty to offer you. In fact, anyone even half serious about imaging technology should have this on their bookshelf, period!

The bottom line - This is one book that anyone even remotely interested in imaging technology should have!!

5 Stars!!

I just wanted to mention how much I enjoy this book, Electronic Imaging in Astronomy (2nd ed.). I am nowhere near a professional in this field (I'm a mathematician, but do astronomical spectroscopy for fun), but the book's friendly writing style, wide scope, and clear explanations make the topics engaging and completely accessible. A work like this bespeaks a wide and deep knowledge of the field, as well as, I am sure, no small amount of perseverence! So kudos to the author from a layman for a really nice book!

A very comprehensive text on contemporary observational astronomy with a specific focus on instruments, detectors, and their host telescope technologies. The book reflects the deep insights of the author and his extensive practical experience in this area at leading telescope facilities and institutions. The book is detailed, and covers important auxiliary material, such as data reduction methodologies required for the instruments and detectors described, and important chapters on instrument design as well as leading-edge science examples in contemporary observational astronomy. The book is at a senior undergraduate, specialist, or graduate student level, but provides a lot of supporting material so can be read at different levels of technical interest. It is a deep technical view of observational astronomy, but I highly recommend it, especially to those who wish to understand the instruments and detectors of modern observational astronomy. The book covers radio, O/UV/IR, and high-energy photon astronomy.

An odd combination of the most detailed description of CCD and infrared arrays (their history,use, calibration, optical and electronic properties, drive waveforms, etc.), plus a shallow and general coverage of general optics, software (including a flow chart for software development plus a few screen shots!), telescopes, and adaptive optics.

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.