Color star tracking II: matching

A novel matching algorithm is presented that can identify stars using raw images of the sky obtained from a CMOS color filter array detector. The algorithm combines geometric information with amplitude ratios calculated from the red, green, and blue color color channels. Conventional algorithms that match stars based solely on inter-star geometry (and sometimes relative brightness), typically require three or more stars for a confident star match. In contrast, the presented algorithms are able to find matches with only two imaged stars in most regions of the sky. The necessary catalog preparation and a simple star-pair matching algorithm based on combined color intensity ratios and the angular spacing are discussed. Results from a large set of simulation trials and initial results from sensor field testing are presented.