CCD question

What exactly is CCD and how better is it than a digital camera? What do I need to know about CCD astrophotography before I go off and get into this? I've been using my digital camera, but am awestruck w/ the images I see posted here, especially when I compare it w/ the images I get when I use my digital camera.

Thanks.

Mauricio.

Richard has the good answer......
But you should know that many of the images you see here have been processed, and if you compared their raw shot to what you are seeing come out of your consumer digital, you would not be quite as wowed.

My friends that are into this usually take three to ten times as long to process the image as they took to get it in the first place. SOme much longer.

No question that a dedicated CCD astro camera takes better raw astro shots and better processed shots in the long run. But you probably have lots to learn from your digital camera about image processing and such that will really bring out some astounding results.

I would say if you are just getting into it, stick with the digital camera for a while until you have really run out of what it can do.

Alex