Eyes In The Sky

Eyes In The Sky PDF Author: Arthur Holland Michel
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0544971663
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
The fascinating history and unnerving future of high-tech aerial surveillance, from its secret military origins to its growing use on American citizens Eyes in the Sky is the authoritative account of how the Pentagon secretly developed a godlike surveillance system for monitoring America's enemies overseas, and how it is now being used to watch us in our own backyards. Whereas a regular aerial camera can only capture a small patch of ground at any given time, this system—and its most powerful iteration, Gorgon Stare—allow operators to track thousands of moving targets at once, both forwards and backwards in time, across whole city-sized areas. When fused with big-data analysis techniques, this network can be used to watch everything simultaneously, and perhaps even predict attacks before they happen. In battle, Gorgon Stare and other systems like it have saved countless lives, but when this technology is deployed over American cities—as it already has been, extensively and largely in secret—it has the potential to become the most nightmarishly powerful visual surveillance system ever built. While it may well solve serious crimes and even help ease the traffic along your morning commute, it could also enable far more sinister and dangerous intrusions into our lives. This is closed-circuit television on steroids. Facebook in the heavens. Drawing on extensive access within the Pentagon and in the companies and government labs that developed these devices, Eyes in the Sky reveals how a top-secret team of mad scientists brought Gorgon Stare into existence, how it has come to pose an unprecedented threat to our privacy and freedom, and how we might still capitalize on its great promise while avoiding its many perils.

Eyes In The Sky

Eyes In The Sky PDF Author: Arthur Holland Michel
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0544971663
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 341

Get Book Here

Book Description
The fascinating history and unnerving future of high-tech aerial surveillance, from its secret military origins to its growing use on American citizens Eyes in the Sky is the authoritative account of how the Pentagon secretly developed a godlike surveillance system for monitoring America's enemies overseas, and how it is now being used to watch us in our own backyards. Whereas a regular aerial camera can only capture a small patch of ground at any given time, this system—and its most powerful iteration, Gorgon Stare—allow operators to track thousands of moving targets at once, both forwards and backwards in time, across whole city-sized areas. When fused with big-data analysis techniques, this network can be used to watch everything simultaneously, and perhaps even predict attacks before they happen. In battle, Gorgon Stare and other systems like it have saved countless lives, but when this technology is deployed over American cities—as it already has been, extensively and largely in secret—it has the potential to become the most nightmarishly powerful visual surveillance system ever built. While it may well solve serious crimes and even help ease the traffic along your morning commute, it could also enable far more sinister and dangerous intrusions into our lives. This is closed-circuit television on steroids. Facebook in the heavens. Drawing on extensive access within the Pentagon and in the companies and government labs that developed these devices, Eyes in the Sky reveals how a top-secret team of mad scientists brought Gorgon Stare into existence, how it has come to pose an unprecedented threat to our privacy and freedom, and how we might still capitalize on its great promise while avoiding its many perils.

Night Sky Photography

Night Sky Photography PDF Author:
Publisher: Ilex Press
ISBN: 9781781577509
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Great photography begins at sunset - learn to photograph the night sky like a professional When the night sky transforms terrestrial landscapes into otherworldly works of art, you need to know the professional techniques for capturing your own nocturnal masterpieces. This complete course combines the classic beauty of landscapes with the vast, exotic universe of astrophotography, using tried-and-tested methods that guarantee stellar results. You'll learn what gear you need and how to make the most of it; clever tricks for squeezing out every drop of image quality from a pitch-black scene; and straightforward post-production workflows to create compelling compositions of the cosmos.

The Deep-sky Imaging Primer

The Deep-sky Imaging Primer PDF Author: Charles Bracken
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780999470909
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
The book that taught thousands of people about astrophotography has been completely revised and updated in this second edition. It covers everything you need to know to capture stunning images of deep-sky objects with a DSLR or CCD camera: The fundamental concepts of imaging and their impact on the final image How to pick a telescope and camera How to get set up and take the images Where and when to find the best objects in the night sky How to process images using Adobe Photoshop(R) and PixInsight(R) Start-to-finish examples of image processing Full-color with over 300 illustrations.

Stargazing with Binoculars

Stargazing with Binoculars PDF Author: Robin Scagell
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781770853287
Category : Astronomy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Reviews for the previous editions: Among the many good books on binocular astronomy, Stargazing with Binoculars stands out as one of the best. [Scagell and Frydman] pack an amazing amount of information into a volume that's clearly written, entertaining, attractive, and portable. --Sky and Telescope A serious contender for the title of best all-around introduction to binocular astronomy. --Sky and Telescope Stargazing with Binoculars is the ideal guide for newcomers to astronomy. The authors review the range of the latest binoculars on the market and provide advice on features to consider before making a purchase. Then they lead the beginner through the first steps of using binoculars to observe the night sky, describing what will be visible and how to find specific objects. This edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate the latest binocular technology. Illustrated throughout and packed with handy tips and tricks, the book includes: How binoculars work and what to expect Buying for the first time and upgrading The wide range of binoculars available internationally Using different sizes of binoculars The effects of light pollution Observing the Sun, Moon, planets, comets, asteroids, stars, clusters, variable stars, double stars, novae, nebulae and galaxies Guidance for observing in the city and in the country Glossary of terms. Binoculars are portable and financially accessible, whereas a telescope can be costly and unwieldy. Even binoculars without bells and whistles will give the viewer an exciting look into the night sky. This introduction is the ideal guide in that pursuit.

A Deep Sky Astrophotography Primer

A Deep Sky Astrophotography Primer PDF Author: Michael O'Brien
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031157621
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
This instructional guide has one aim: to teach inexperienced astrophotographers how to take high quality images. Often, basic information about astrophotography is lacking, or is dealt with too briefly in books on the subject. This book is a distillation of the author’s own experiences, bringing together everything you will need to make the fastest possible progress in deep-sky imaging. The book will teach you how to set up and use your astrophotography equipment in a systematic, easy-to-follow manner, helping you get started while avoiding common mistakes. With a step-by-step walk-through course and a unique observational guide to each object, the book contains a plethora of valuable, beginner-friendly information. Particularly useful is the chapter on troubleshooting, which will help newcomers avoid further frustration when things just don’t seem to go right! The book also contains a number of easy to advanced DIY projects for imagers working on a budget.

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide PDF Author: Terence Dickinson
Publisher: Firefly Books
ISBN: 9780228103271
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
The touchstone for contemporary stargazers. This classic, groundbreaking guide has been the go-to field guide for both beginning and experienced amateur astronomers for nearly 30 years. The fourth edition brings Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer's invaluable manual completely up-to-date. Setting a new standard for astronomy guides, it will serve as the touchstone for the next generation of stargazers as well as longtime devotees. Technology and astronomical understanding are evolving at a breathtaking clip, and to reflect the latest information about observing techniques and equipment, this massively revised and expanded edition has been completely rebuilt (an additional 48 pages brings the page count to 416). Illustrated throughout with all-new photographs and star charts, this edition boasts a refreshed design and features five brand-new chapters, including three essential essays on binocular, telescope and Moon tours by renowned astronomy writer Ken Hewitt-White. With new content on naked-eye sky sights, LED lighting technology, WiFi-enabled telescopes and the latest advances in binoculars, telescopes and other astronomical gear, the fourth edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is sure to become an indispensable reference for all levels of stargazers. New techniques for observing the Sun, the Moon and solar and lunar eclipses are an especially timely addition, given the upcoming solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024. Rounding out these impressive offerings are new sections on dark sky reserves, astro-tourism, modern astrophotography and cellphone astrophotography, making this book an enduring must-have guide for anyone looking to improve his or her astronomical viewing experience. The Backyard Astronomer's Guide also features a foreword by Dr. Sara Seager, a Canadian-American astrophysicist and planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an internationally recognized expert in the search for exoplanets.

Light Pollution: The Global View

Light Pollution: The Global View PDF Author: H.E Schwarz
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401701253
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
The effects of light pollution on flora, fauna -including humans and their widely varying night-time activities- are often subtle and need extensive field studies to be quantified in a sensible manner. Some of the highlights were: The presentation of the 1st world atlas of artificial night sky brightness (Cinzano et al.); the article by the International Darksky Association on their world-wide efforts to curb light pollution (Alvarez del Castillo et al.); the laws controlling light pollution implemented in Spain (Diaz et al.) and Chile (Sanhueza et al.), an overview of the work on radio frequency protection of sites (Cohen et al.) and the excellent introduction to the topic from the Chilean point of view (Daud). Related topics in the book are light pollution education, aircraft contrails, space advertising (with an added document provided by the relevant UN commission), and an experiment on involving the population of an entire country in measuring sky brightness, by using the internet and the media. The text is aimed at professionals from a wide range of disciplines related to lighting and its effects on the night-time environment in the broadest sense of the word. Lay persons interested in this emerging multi-disciplinary field can also find much of interest in this book.

How to Photograph & Process Nightscapes and Time-Lapses

How to Photograph & Process Nightscapes and Time-Lapses PDF Author: Alan Dyer
Publisher: Alan Dyer
ISBN: 0993958907
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 674

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Book Description
The book describes — How to shoot and process still image “nightscapes” – images of landscapes taken at night by the light of the Moon or stars … and … How to shoot and assemble time-lapse movies of the stars and Milky Way turning above Earthly scenes, all using DSLR cameras. The 400-page multi-touch book includes — 50 embedded HD videos (no internet connection required) demonstrating time-lapse techniques. 60 multi-page tutorials with step-by-step instructions of how to use software: Adobe Bridge, Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop, Lightroom, LRTimelapse, Advanced Stacker Actions, StarStaX, Panolapse, Sequence, GBTimelapse, and more. Numerous Photo 101 sections explaining the basic concepts of photography and video production (f-stops, ISOs, file types, aspect ratios, frame rates, compression, etc.). Numerous Astronomy 101 sections explaining the basics of how the sky works (how the sky moves, where the Moon can be found, when the Milky Way can be seen, when and where to see auroras). Reviews of gear – I don’t just mention that specialized gear exists, I illustrate in detail how to use popular units such as the Time-Lapse+, Michron, and TriggerTrap intervalometers, and the All-View mount, Radian, Mindarin Astro, eMotimo, and Dynamic Perception motion-control units, with comments on what’s good – and not so good – to use. You’ll learn — What are the best cameras and lenses to buy (cropped vs. full-frame, Canon vs. Nikon, manual vs. automatic lenses, zooms vs. primes). How to set your cameras and lenses for maximum detail and minimum noise (following the mantra of “exposing to the right” and using dark frames). How to shoot auroras, conjunctions, satellites, comets, and meteor showers. How to shoot nightscapes lit only by moonlit, and how to determine where the Moon will be to plan a shoot. How to shoot & stitch panoramas of the night sky and Milky Way, using Photoshop and PTGui software. How to shoot tracked long exposures of the Milky Way using camera trackers such as the iOptron Star Tracker and Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer. How to develop Raw files, the essential first step to great images and movies. How to process nightscape stills using techniques such as compositing multiple exposures, masking ground and sky, and using non-destructive adjustment layers and smart filters. How to shoot and stack star trail images made of hundreds of frames. How to assemble time-lapse movies from those same hundreds of frames. How to plan a time-lapse shoot and calculate the best balance of exposure time vs. frame count vs. length of shoot, and recommended apps to use. How to process hundreds of frames using Adobe Camera Raw, Bridge, Photoshop, and Lightroom. How to shoot and process advanced “Holy Grail” time-lapse transitions from day to night. How to shoot motion-control sequences using specialized dolly and pan/tilt devices. How to use time-lapse processing tools such as LRTimelapse, Panolapse, Sequence, and Advanced Stacker Actions. What can go wrong and how best to avoid problems in the field.

Photography Night Sky

Photography Night Sky PDF Author: Jennifer Wu
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781594858383
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Professional tips and tricks for capturing those stunning night-time shots that have so far eluded you.

Night Sky Explorer

Night Sky Explorer PDF Author: Robin Kerrod
Publisher: Thunder Bay Press
ISBN: 1645172481
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
An indispensable tool for the amateur astronomer. Night Sky Explorer will help you learn everything a beginning stargazer needs to know. Use the included rotating planisphere to figure out which stars are currently visible, and the 128-page book to learn more about each celestial body. Key facts are presented in an easy-to-understand format, and sidebars offer fun trivia and illuminating anecdotes. Star maps feature the dominant constellations at any given time of the year, so you’ll be prepared for planetary enlightenment when the moon rises!