A system and method for registering a test image with a reference image requires decimation of both images to create corresponding image pyramids. A Log-Polar Transformation (LPT) is then applied to corresponding pixels from the same highest levels of the respective pyramids. Next, these pixels are manipulated to establish a Normalized Correlation Coefficient (NCC) for their respective correlations. Approximately the highest 10% of correlated pixels are then retained to identify related pixels in the next lower level of their respective pyramids. Again, LPT is applied to these related pixels and they, in turn, are manipulated to establish NCC correlations for identifying pixels to be retained. This process is successively accomplished for each lower level of the pyramid until the lowest levels (i.e. the test image and the reference image) are correlated and used for registration of the test image.
