High Speed Video: Amateur contributions to understanding the solar system

Presenter(s): Anthony Wesley

Affiliation(s): Astronomical Society of Australia (associate member)

Session details: Saturday, 2020-04-10 23:15:00, STAR

Abstract

The last twenty years have seen a revolution in imaging techniques for the larger bodies in our local solar system, led by amateur astronomers around the world and resulting in images of exquisite resolution and beauty that have contributed considerably to our overall body of knowledge. In this presentation, Anthony will show how the use of high speed video allows an amateur to reach the limits of their aperture for the brighter planets, review the significant contributions of amateurs to planetary science, show some of the highlights from his own experience, and talk about the challenges and solutions encountered along the way.

Biography

Anthony has been an avid planetary photographer since 2003, pursuing this as his primary interest in astronomy. He has an Honours degree in Computing Science from the University of New England (1988) and has spent his days as a professional software developer since 1989. His other non-astronomy interests include Physics, Maths, Chemistry and Amateur Radio. He received the 2012 Page Medal from the ASA for his planetary observations.