rrm@inuxe.UUCP (Ron Meyer) (09/19/84)
To make a long story short, the quantum efficiency of a CCD is around 60 to 90 percent (depending upon the wavelength of observation) compared to about 1 percent of film, i.e. CCD's have a greater sensitivity to light than film. Also, CCD's do not have the problem of reciprocity failure that film does. There sensitivity to light remains constant during the entire exposure thereby allowing a shorter length exposure to "photograph" an object with a CCD. There are many other advantages of using CCD's (plus many disadvantages) insteadof film, but these are two of the "biggies" Ron Meyer inuxe!rrm Secretary-Indiana Astronomical Society