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DSS Advice please!!!!!

TimBarber

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TimBarber

TimBarber

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Hello 

Im very new to Astrophotography or any type of Astronomy for that matter and i could really use some help on the processing side of things.

I have a couple of questions if anyone could just take a few moments to explain i would very much appreciate it.

1) I have read people stacking 6 x 10 sec exposures.......is this a good technique?.....good enough to get details in M31 with just a zoom lens?

2)If i stack say 6 x 30 secs of different images....could i take one image in raw and stack the same image of a 30 sec exposure 6 times?

3)Is there a difference between 6 separate images of the same exposure and same point in the sky, and one picture of a point in the sky stacked 6 times? If there is a difference i really don't understand why.

I realise that these questions make me appear pretty stupid, which to be honest in the world of Astrophotography that is fairly accurate. 

Any help would be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Tim

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TimBarber

TimBarber

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In the absense of any proper imagers being about at the moment ... I'll have a shot

1- probably try about 30 seconds at 800 ISO for M31 ( dependant on lens length... Go shorter if too much trailing on stars)

Stack about 20 shots .

2- no ... The slight differences in the stacking images are what helps improve the signal / noise ratio

3- maybe try it, nowt to lose

Edit ---- forgot to ask , is the camera static or on a tracking mount ?

Brilliant thanks for your advice!!

The camera is on a stack tripod, which makes me think is the M31 even possible like this?

Thank you

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Scott

Scott

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If I understand you right, and you mean making multiple copies of the same image and stacking them, then no, this will not work. If this was the case, then there'd be no need to take 5,10 or in some cases 30 hrs of exposures. I'm afraid there's no real shortcuts where image capture is concerned.

with your camera, I suggest using the "500 rule". Basically, divide 500 by your lens length and this gives you a rough idea of the length of exposure before startrailing occurs.

another option is to try for deliberate star trail images. these can be very impressive and done with the most basic equiptment. also, you could try stacking around 100 10 sec exposures of the milkyway shot with a very short lens at around 800iso.

Good luck with whatever you decide Tim.

Oh, theres also a good book called http://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

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TimBarber

TimBarber

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If I understand you right, and you mean making multiple copies of the same image and stacking them, then no, this will not work. If this was the case, then there'd be no need to take 5,10 or in some cases 30 hrs of exposures. I'm afraid there's no real shortcuts where image capture is concerned.

with your camera, I suggest using the "500 rule". Basically, divide 500 by your lens length and this gives you a rough idea of the length of exposure before startrailing occurs.

another option is to try for deliberate star trail images. these can be very impressive and done with the most basic equiptment. also, you could try stacking around 100 10 sec exposures of the milkyway shot with a very short lens at around 800iso.

Good luck with whatever you decide Tim.

Oh, theres also a good book called http://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

Thank you for your advise. May i ask a probably stupid question.......If i do as you suggest - take 100 x 10 second exposures, then would i have to adjust the tripod during this time as i guess the target would move? Or does the stacking process identify this slight movement and compensate it?

Sorry for the question and before everyone tries to lynch me please remember i am a newbie to this type of photography!

Many thanks

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Alien 13

Alien 13

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Thank you for your advise. May i ask a probably stupid question.......If i do as you suggest - take 100 x 10 second exposures, then would i have to adjust the tripod during this time as i guess the target would move? Or does the stacking process identify this slight movement and compensate it?

Sorry for the question and before everyone tries to lynch me please remember i am a newbie to this type of photography!

Many thanks

The stacking software will allow for the movement between frames but you will end up with a large border around the image, it would be better to move the tripod to recenter the image after every 5-10 frames.

Alan

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