Enhancement of Small Telescope Images Using Super‐Resolution Techniques

We present the results of our study into the feasibility of using super-resolution techniques to enhance the quality of images obtainable with small telescopes. With super-resolution, one acquires a series of images of a moving object such that the object of interest is only slightly displaced in each image. One then uses statistical methods to combine these separate images to produce a subpixel interpolation of the original image. The methodology been successfully demonstrated in several application areas and can theoretically double (or more than double) the image spatial resolution. Our interest is whether or not the wander resulting from atmospheric turbulence creates sufficient displacement for the super-resolution algorithm.