Hybrid Images: A Strategy for Optimizing Impact in Astronomical Images

Abstract

This chapter is less about specific techniques and methods and more about a paradigm shift in astronomical imaging. Since my early days in astronomical imaging my goal has been to create high resolution celestial portraits with generous field size and maximal visual impact. The hard reality is that those qualities are often mutually exclusive because of inherent limitations of imaging systems and locations. Any single imaging system, regardless of quality, is locked into certain specific constraints such as focal length, f-ratio, filter systems, and local sky conditions.