Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 22 minutes ago
I've made a list of more than 130 astrophotography terms that every beginner should know. Let me know what I missed!!
The terms:
00:00:00 Teaser
00:00:16 Theme Song
00:00:43 Introduction
00:02:08 Solar System Objects
00:02:29 Deep Sky Objects (DSO)
00:02:46 Emission Nebulae
00:03:19 Planetary Nebulae
00:03:51 Dark Nebulae
00:04:19 Reflection Nebulae
00:04:40 Galaxies
00:05:09 Imaging Rig
00:05:39 Imaging Software
00:06:29 Imaging Session
00:07:00 Integration Time
00:07:44 DSO Imaging
00:08:11 Lucky Imaging
00:08:39 Planetary Imaging
00:09:07 Mono Imaging
00:09:39 Broadband Target
00:10:06 Narrowband Target
00:11:02 OSC Images
00:12:05 Raw Images
00:12:33 Final Image
00:13:07 Stacking
00:14:18 RGB Image
00:14:38 Stacked Image
00:14:51 Starless Image
00:15:10 Live Stacking
00:15:51 Imaging/Optical Train
00:16:16 Refractor
00:16:33 Reflector
00:16:48 Newtonian
00:17:07 Maksutov
00:17:28 Schmidt Cassegrain
00:17:47 Ritchey-Chretien
00:18:05 Collimation
00:18:43 Apochromatic Refractor
00:19:05 ED Refractor
00:19:38 Rotator
00:19:55 Petzval Refractor
00:20:09 Field Flattener
00:20:35 Focal Reducer
00:21:04 Coma Corrector
00:21:32 Backfocus
00:22:44 Astrograph
00:22:55 Astro Camera
00:23:29 Main Camera
00:23:52 Imaging Camera
00:24:04 DSLR Camera
00:24:35 Guide Camera
00:25:27 Cooled Camera
00:25:50 Planetary Camera
00:26:20 CCD Camera
00:26:58 CMOS Camera
00:27:18 Full Frame Camera
00:27:42 Frame Rate
00:28:04 Telescope Mount
00:28:19 GOTO Mount
00:28:36 Motorized/Tracking Mount
00:28:55 Equatorial (EQ) Mount
00:29:18 Alt Az Mount
00:29:53 Strain Wave Mount
00:30:04 Harmonic Drive Mount
00:30:17 Star Tracker
00:30:37 Polar Alignment
00:30:55 Star Alignment
00:31:58 Declination
00:32:18 Right Ascension
00:32:30 Meridian
00:32:41 Meridian Flip
00:33:08 Vixen Dovetail
00:33:25 Losmandy Dovetail
00:33:40 Saddle
00:33:52 Guiding/Autoguiding
00:34:30 Guide Scope
00:34:45 Guide Camera (Again!)
00:34:54 Guide Star
00:35:31 Off Axis Guider (OAG)
00:36:21 Dithering
00:36:46 Autofocus
00:37:27 Bahtinov Mask
00:37:52 Light Pollution Filters
00:38:16 Narrowband Filter
00:38:43 RGB Filters
00:38:57 IR Cut Filter
00:39:16 Luminance Filter
00:39:26 Filter Set
00:39:39 Hydrogen Alpha (Ha) Filter
00:39:54 Oxygen III (OIII) Filter
00:40:01 Sulfur II (SII) Filter
00:40:23 Dual Narrowband Filter
00:40:44 Triband Filter
00:41:06 Filter Wheel
00:41:26 Filter Drawer
00:41:46 Light Path
00:41:59 Light Gathering Ability
00:42:17 Image Quality
00:42:32 Image Circle
00:42:53 Image Scale
00:43:24 Tilt
00:43:45 Internal Reflections
00:44:09 Light Leak
00:44:29 Light Box
00:44:48 Flat Panel
00:45:04 Calibration Frames
00:45:19 Bias Frames
00:45:38 Dark Frames
00:45:52 Flat Frames
00:46:11 Dark Flat Frames (Flat Darks)
00:46:29 Light Frames
00:46:47 Light Pollution
00:47:08 Bortle Scale
00:47:43 Sky Background
00:48:03 Background Extraction
00:48:22 Light Source
00:48:40 Dynamic Range
00:48:58 Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)
00:49:41 Read Noise
00:49:57 Walking Noise
00:50:24 Thermal/Dark Noise
00:50:38 Aberration
00:51:00 Dust Mote
00:51:18 Bright Stars
00:51:47 Elongated Stars
00:52:02 Pinpoint Stars
00:52:18 Image Processing/Post Processing
00:52:27 Processing Software
00:52:43 Processing Skills
00:53:09 Autostretch/ Auto Stretch
00:53:47 Linear
00:54:03 Curves
00:54:15 Deconvolution
00:54:30 Noise Reduction
00:54:59 Star Mask
00:55:41 Plate Solving
00:56:07 White Balance
00:56:27 Color Correction
00:56:58 Cosmetic Correction
00:57:13 Graxpert Processing
00:57:33 ASCOM
00:58:03 INDI
Become a buymeacoffee member to help choose which products I review: buymeacoffee.com/deepskydetail
Affiliate Links:
High Point Scientific: highpointscientific.com/?rfsn=8751569.cc9d94
Agena Astro: agenaastro.com/?rfsn=7802039.3f4caf
Skywatcher HEQ5 Mount amzn.to/3NVrVQi
Skywatcher 80mm F7.5 Doublet amzn.to/47mbfZi
ZWO EFW mini filter wheel amzn.to/48OxhoN
Optolong LRGB Filter Set (1.25") amzn.to/47r23Tw
Orion 0.8x Reducer amzn.to/47s64a4
USB RJ45 Cable for Controlling Mount amzn.to/4aPlIzu
Raspberry Pi to control mount amzn.to/48mTBWH
R Pi case with touch screen amzn.to/3HvdNKl
ZWO Autofocuser amzn.to/3Skg0hX
ZWO 294MM Pro Camera: bit.ly/3tZmjOo
HEQ5 Mount: bit.ly/3O7VQVz (mine is Orion Sirius, which is equivalent)
ZWO Filter Wheel: bit.ly/3Soo5lw
Optolong Filters (LRGB, SII, Ha, OIII): bit.ly/3SlEPtJ (the Ha and OIII narrowband filters are better than what I have)
Skywatcher Evostar 80mm: bit.ly/4bfVjev (equivalent lens)
USB RJ45 Cable: bit.ly/48FRj50 (connects mount to laptop directly; mine is a different brand, but this should do)
ZWO Autofocuser: bit.ly/425XUDB
0.8x Reducer: bit.ly/3tQlbg7 (mine is Orion, but this should be equivalent)
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCoI4bUAKNI3rdvesiNqtYJw/join
I've made a list of more than 130 astrophotography terms that every beginner should know. Let me know what I missed!!
The terms:
00:00:00 Teaser
00:00:16 Theme Song
00:00:43 Introduction
00:02:08 Solar System Objects
00:02:29 Deep Sky Objects (DSO)
00:02:46 Emission Nebulae
00:03:19 Planetary Nebulae
00:03:51 Dark Nebulae
00:04:19 Reflection Nebulae
00:04:40 Galaxies
00:05:09 Imaging Rig
00:05:39 Imaging Software
00:06:29 Imaging Session
00:07:00 Integration Time
00:07:44 DSO Imaging
00:08:11 Lucky Imaging
00:08:39 Planetary Imaging
00:09:07 Mono Imaging
00:09:39 Broadband Target
00:10:06 Narrowband Target
00:11:02 OSC Images
00:12:05 Raw Images
00:12:33 Final Image
00:13:07 Stacking
00:14:18 RGB Image
00:14:38 Stacked Image
00:14:51 Starless Image
00:15:10 Live Stacking
00:15:51 Imaging/Optical Train
00:16:16 Refractor
00:16:33 Reflector
00:16:48 Newtonian
00:17:07 Maksutov
00:17:28 Schmidt Cassegrain
00:17:47 Ritchey-Chretien
00:18:05 Collimation
00:18:43 Apochromatic Refractor
00:19:05 ED Refractor
00:19:38 Rotator
00:19:55 Petzval Refractor
00:20:09 Field Flattener
00:20:35 Focal Reducer
00:21:04 Coma Corrector
00:21:32 Backfocus
00:22:44 Astrograph
00:22:55 Astro Camera
00:23:29 Main Camera
00:23:52 Imaging Camera
00:24:04 DSLR Camera
00:24:35 Guide Camera
00:25:27 Cooled Camera
00:25:50 Planetary Camera
00:26:20 CCD Camera
00:26:58 CMOS Camera
00:27:18 Full Frame Camera
00:27:42 Frame Rate
00:28:04 Telescope Mount
00:28:19 GOTO Mount
00:28:36 Motorized/Tracking Mount
00:28:55 Equatorial (EQ) Mount
00:29:18 Alt Az Mount
00:29:53 Strain Wave Mount
00:30:04 Harmonic Drive Mount
00:30:17 Star Tracker
00:30:37 Polar Alignment
00:30:55 Star Alignment
00:31:58 Declination
00:32:18 Right Ascension
00:32:30 Meridian
00:32:41 Meridian Flip
00:33:08 Vixen Dovetail
00:33:25 Losmandy Dovetail
00:33:40 Saddle
00:33:52 Guiding/Autoguiding
00:34:30 Guide Scope
00:34:45 Guide Camera (Again!)
00:34:54 Guide Star
00:35:31 Off Axis Guider (OAG)
00:36:21 Dithering
00:36:46 Autofocus
00:37:27 Bahtinov Mask
00:37:52 Light Pollution Filters
00:38:16 Narrowband Filter
00:38:43 RGB Filters
00:38:57 IR Cut Filter
00:39:16 Luminance Filter
00:39:26 Filter Set
00:39:39 Hydrogen Alpha (Ha) Filter
00:39:54 Oxygen III (OIII) Filter
00:40:01 Sulfur II (SII) Filter
00:40:23 Dual Narrowband Filter
00:40:44 Triband Filter
00:41:06 Filter Wheel
00:41:26 Filter Drawer
00:41:46 Light Path
00:41:59 Light Gathering Ability
00:42:17 Image Quality
00:42:32 Image Circle
00:42:53 Image Scale
00:43:24 Tilt
00:43:45 Internal Reflections
00:44:09 Light Leak
00:44:29 Light Box
00:44:48 Flat Panel
00:45:04 Calibration Frames
00:45:19 Bias Frames
00:45:38 Dark Frames
00:45:52 Flat Frames
00:46:11 Dark Flat Frames (Flat Darks)
00:46:29 Light Frames
00:46:47 Light Pollution
00:47:08 Bortle Scale
00:47:43 Sky Background
00:48:03 Background Extraction
00:48:22 Light Source
00:48:40 Dynamic Range
00:48:58 Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)
00:49:41 Read Noise
00:49:57 Walking Noise
00:50:24 Thermal/Dark Noise
00:50:38 Aberration
00:51:00 Dust Mote
00:51:18 Bright Stars
00:51:47 Elongated Stars
00:52:02 Pinpoint Stars
00:52:18 Image Processing/Post Processing
00:52:27 Processing Software
00:52:43 Processing Skills
00:53:09 Autostretch/ Auto Stretch
00:53:47 Linear
00:54:03 Curves
00:54:15 Deconvolution
00:54:30 Noise Reduction
00:54:59 Star Mask
00:55:41 Plate Solving
00:56:07 White Balance
00:56:27 Color Correction
00:56:58 Cosmetic Correction
00:57:13 Graxpert Processing
00:57:33 ASCOM
00:58:03 INDI
Become a buymeacoffee member to help choose which products I review: buymeacoffee.com/deepskydetail
Affiliate Links:
High Point Scientific: highpointscientific.com/?rfsn=8751569.cc9d94
Agena Astro: agenaastro.com/?rfsn=7802039.3f4caf
Skywatcher HEQ5 Mount amzn.to/3NVrVQi
Skywatcher 80mm F7.5 Doublet amzn.to/47mbfZi
ZWO EFW mini filter wheel amzn.to/48OxhoN
Optolong LRGB Filter Set (1.25") amzn.to/47r23Tw
Orion 0.8x Reducer amzn.to/47s64a4
USB RJ45 Cable for Controlling Mount amzn.to/4aPlIzu
Raspberry Pi to control mount amzn.to/48mTBWH
R Pi case with touch screen amzn.to/3HvdNKl
ZWO Autofocuser amzn.to/3Skg0hX
ZWO 294MM Pro Camera: bit.ly/3tZmjOo
HEQ5 Mount: bit.ly/3O7VQVz (mine is Orion Sirius, which is equivalent)
ZWO Filter Wheel: bit.ly/3Soo5lw
Optolong Filters (LRGB, SII, Ha, OIII): bit.ly/3SlEPtJ (the Ha and OIII narrowband filters are better than what I have)
Skywatcher Evostar 80mm: bit.ly/4bfVjev (equivalent lens)
USB RJ45 Cable: bit.ly/48FRj50 (connects mount to laptop directly; mine is a different brand, but this should do)
ZWO Autofocuser: bit.ly/425XUDB
0.8x Reducer: bit.ly/3tQlbg7 (mine is Orion, but this should be equivalent)
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCoI4bUAKNI3rdvesiNqtYJw/join
