How to stack with multiple exposer times...

[nmoushon]

Was wondering how to stack with different exposure times. Do I just load all the different times (30,60,90,120) into DSS as normal and press go? Or do I have to do something else?

[Helen]

You can load them into DSS and let it do its thing. It will split into each exposure time and stack them together. Alternatively, if you want to pull out different parts of the image with different exposures (eg in M42 you might want short exposures for the trapezium stars, but longer for the nebula), then stack each exposure length seperately and then layer in Photoshop.

Helen

[Demonperformer]

Will it split them automatically?

I thought you had to use the group tabs, putting the lights, darks and flats for each exposure length in a different group?

As usual, there is a fairly high probability that I have got it wrong

[Sp@ce_d]

Will it split them automatically?

I thought you had to use the group tabs, putting the lights, darks and flats for each exposure length in a different group?

As usual, there is a fairly high probability that I have got it wrong

That is my understanding too.. and how I'm using it

[Psychobilly]

Bearing in mind its heading for a couple of years since I used DSS in anger...:)

I tended to use the group tabs for exposures taken on different nights to match darks and flats...

Exposures of different lengths taken in the same night went into the same group...

DSS seemed to sort it all out ..

If I wanted to create sub stacks for the different exposure I just checked the subs I wanted to use...

Peter...

[Blackbird20202]

Erm, as a newbie to stargazing, what is DSS plz?

[Helen]

Deep Sky Stacker - its a free program for stacking astro photographs (you take a lot of shots of the same object and then use this program to add them together to make a better image). DeepSkyStacker - Free

Helen

[Demonperformer]

Deep Sky Stacker ... free software. You take lots of pictures [subs] of your subject, together with darks [same exposure length, lens cap on, to find the noise created by the electronics], flats [same setup with smooth illuminated source, to find the errors created by imperfections in the optical train] and bias [minimum exposure length, to find the noise created by simply taking a photo], put them all into the program and it produces a stacked result.

HTH

*MUST TYPE FASTER