The document discusses the history and operation of charge-coupled device (CCD) detectors used for astronomical imaging. It describes how CCDs work by transferring electrical charges between pixels via controlled voltage potentials (1-2 sentences). It outlines the key advantages of CCDs such as high spatial resolution, quantum efficiency, dynamic range, and low noise. The document also explains the process of taking astronomical images with a CCD, including bias subtraction, dark calibration, flat fielding, and combining multiple exposures to improve signal-to-noise ratio.