Astrophotography has the ability to image objects invisible to the human eye such as dim stars, nebulae, and galaxies.

This is done by long time exposure since both film and digital cameras can accumulate and sum light photons over these long periods of time.

Image Credit: ESO/T. Preibisch

In professional astronomical research, photography revolutionized the field, with long time exposures recording hundreds of thousands of new stars and nebulae that were invisible to the human eye, leading to specialized and ever larger optical telescopes that were essentially big "cameras" designed to collect light to be recorded on film.

Astronomical CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras were very rapidly adopted by astronomers for nearly all UV-to-infrared imaging.

Image Credit: European Space Agency & NASA

Acknowledgment: E. Olszewski (University of Arizona)

In Exoplanet Observatory, we are equipped with high quality CCD camera to capture stunning stellar images invisible to the human eye.

The amount of light hitting the film or detector is also increased by increasing the diameter of the primary optics (the objective) being used. Exoplanet Observatory houses a large 25 inches telescope currently the largest aperture in Singapore.

Image Credit: vastateparksstaff / CC BY 2.0

Urban areas produce light pollution so equipment and observatories doing astronomical imaging are located in remote locations to allow long exposures without the film or detectors being swamped with stray light. Exoplanet Observatory capture images in remote island of Singapore where our Milky way is clearly visible from the ground.

Image Credit: G. Hüdepohl (atacamaphoto.com)/ESO

Since the Earth is constantly rotating, telescopes and equipment have to be rotated in the opposite direction to follow the apparent motion of the stars overhead (called diurnal motion).

This is accomplished by using either equatorial or computer controlled altazimuth telescope mounts to keep celestial objects centered while the earth rotates.

In Exoplanet Observatory, our telescope is fully equipped with tracking device and mechanism to counteract the Earth rotation. Object is constantly centre on the telescope eyepiece to facilitate long duration exposure imaging.

Image Credit: Y. Beletsky (LCO)/ESO