Dedicated astrophotography cameras are capable of capturing the phenomenal detail and color of faint objects in the night sky such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. These cameras are typically referred to as CMOS or CCD cameras. Long exposures, typically consisting of several minutes, are taken with these cameras. The shutter is left open while the light from the object collects within the pixel wells of the camera sensor. Many of these exposures are taken and stacked together via stacking software which helps increase the signal-to-noise ratio of these photos! CMOS and CCD cameras can be attached to the back of a dedicated imaging telescope or astrograph with the goal of collecting as much light as possible. If deep space astrophotography is something that interests you, please take a look at our article on How to Choose the Best Deep Sky Camera.
Telescope cameras for astronomy are available in a wide price range, and the price difference is driven by two things; the size of the CCD or CMOS sensor and the features of the camera body itself. Small, simple imaging cameras meant for taking pictures of bright objects, such as the Moon and planets, are very economical and a great way to jump into astrophotography. If planetary imaging is something that you would like to consider, reading our “Choosing the Best Planetary Camera” article may point you in the right direction! Telescope cameras with larger sensors are capable of capturing the faint light from distant galaxies and other far-off celestial objects. Imaging sensors that are physically bigger also cover a wider swath of sky and are therefore capable of imaging very large objects. Astronomy camera sensors come in color and monochrome (black and white), and the camera bodies can have features such as cooling, built-in color filter wheels, autoguiders, and more. Our most popular CMOS camera, a ZWO, has excellent low illumination performance. Contact High Point Scientific today with any questions about astrophotography CCD cameras or CMOS cameras.