| 主权项 |
1. A method of automatically tracking and photographing a celestial object which moves relative to a photographic apparatus due to diurnal motion so that an image of the celestial object that is formed on an imaging surface of an image sensor via a photographing optical system of the photographic apparatus becomes stationary relative to a predetermined imaging area of the image sensor during a celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation, the method comprising:
obtaining azimuth information, with respect to the photographic apparatus, of the celestial object; calculating first-tracking drive control data for performing a first-tracking photographing operation based on the azimuth information; performing the first-tracking photographing operation, during a predetermined exposure time, based on the first-tracking drive control data; obtaining, after the first-tracking photographing operation based on the first-tracking drive control data finishes, a first image, upon lapse of a predetermined time, and a second image, wherein the first image and the second image respectively correspond to a beginning and an ending of images taken by the first-tracking photographing operation; calculating an amount of deviation between a celestial object image in the first image and a corresponding celestial object image in the second image; and judging, in accordance with a comparison between the deviation amount and a predetermined threshold value, whether a second-tracking photographing operation is to be performed. |
