In contrast to other natural scientists, astrophysicists cannot directly experiment with the objects of their interest. With a few exceptions, all knowledge of the physics of objects in the Universe must be obtained from the electromagnetic radiation emitted by them. Besides the analysis of spectra and lightcurves, the investigation of images is therefore one of the most important tools in astrophysics. In addition to images in visible light, imaging instruments are used in all accessible wavelength ranges, i.e., from radio to gamma-rays. This course is divided into five blocks: Introduction, basic methods of image processing, advanced methods, modern applications, and an outlook.
The fundamental concept of this online course is the close interaction between theory and tutorials as well as hands-on exercises using data of ground- and space-based telescopes. The aim of the course is to provide a basic understanding of imaging methods using examples from modern astronomy.