MISAO Project

Home Page       Tue Sep 2 14:15:44 JST 1997

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When images are not utilized at all

Popularization of cooled CCD cameras caused a revolution in astronomical photographs. CCD cameras have many advantages such as the high sensitivity, so shorter exposure time is required, the immediacy to obtain the result as digital data, the reusability of the media, etc. These advantages mean that we can obtain much more images now than when taking photos with films. In addition, the number of photographers is also increasing because anyone can take images of faint objects easily with CCD cameras. In conclusion, popularization of CCD led to mass production of astronomical images all over the world.

Because CCD cameras can take even much fainter objects, many of the images must contain very significant information. However, especially in case of personal images, they are hardly examined and the information in them are seldom used. For example, in spite of the fact that more people are taking more images now, the number of accidental discovery of new comets are not so increasing. That is one of the prooves of the situation.

The main reason of it is that many personal photographers' purpose is appreciation. But it is not the only one. If everyone have got interested in discovery of new objects, the situation would not change so. That is because, in generally, many of the people do not have the skill to examine their images, check all objects in them and find out whether some new objects exist. It means, if someone wants to check their images, they do not know how to do it and can only remain the images unchecked as a result.

In conclusion, popularization of a software is required to examine images, collate every star in the images with those in catalogs, and tell important objects to be observed or candidates of new objects, if they exist in the image, to the users.

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Copyright(C) Seiichi Yoshida (comet@aerith.net). All rights reserved.