How to snap the Andromeda galaxy?

[Astrosurf]

I had a go at snapping the Andromeda galaxy tonight even though I knew I hadn't done enough to ensure the scope was tracking well. I was fairly pleased with the result though, even though there were star trails, as I thought I'd get nothing. I did a few at 1 min each. I'd originally set the camera at ISO 800 but took it down to 200 for something else as an experiment then forgot to put it back for Andromeda! The 5 min ones were useless as there was too much trailing.

I'm too embarrassed at the rough quality to post the pic on here, but it's just a white fuzzy blob with a tiny bit of trailing on the stars, and one of its companion dwarf galaxies.

I have a Canon EOS 40D and a Skywatcher 200P on an HEQ5 Pro mount.

What should I do to get the best pics? E.g. exposure length, ISO setting etc.

What do I do to the pic to bring out any colours if I can? I can't remember the advice given on the imaging day as it was a bit too technical!

I managed to get 4 pics even though I set the remote timer to take 10, which is really weird. The other pics in the series are dark. I stacked the 4 using Deep Sky Stacker.

Lots of advice please!

Alexxx

[Egor Blimey]

Alex.

I too would welcome some short-cut advice to begin imaging DSOs. I've been disappointed with my initial attempts using my digital SLR. There does seem to be a threshold for faint objects that, no matter how long the exposure, nothing records. This never seemed to be the case with the slide film I used (with a surprisingly effective but truly Heath Robinson tracking arrangement I used to use) for exposures up to about 10 minutes of objects such as M42. The images wouldn't have won any competitions but the shape and colour and surprising amounts of detail were recorded.

I've had good photos and videos of Jupiter using my old Vixen SP 102 onto the digital SLR, but that's a bright subject posing no problem for the SLR chip. I think my suggestion would be to go to a dark site, set the SLR ISO setting to the highest possible to start with, piggy back it on the 'scope and expose M42 or M31 for 5 to 10 minutes. It would be interesting for me to compare with the old slide images. At least I now have a decent tracking RA motor.

I'll have to wait for a clear and still night now!

Barry.

[Talitha]

Hi Alex, how've you been? I can't help you with imaging, but you might get a wider audience for your questions over in the Imaging zone. Lots of brain power there.

[Astrosurf]

I realised afterwards that my two posts should have been in the imaging section. I was very tired! I could have chosen a hobby that's less strenuous!

Mods, could you move this post to the imaging section?

[Paxo]

I realised afterwards that my two posts should have been in the imaging section. I was very tired! I could have chosen a hobby that's less strenuous!

Mods, could you move this post to the imaging section?

Done

Steve

[Tim]

See if you can get aligned enough to take 2 min exposures at iso800 for a start.

Get lots of photos, 50 or 60 (no, really).

Ditch any really rough pics, then stack the best in DSS. When you have some decent stacked images, it will be much easier to guide you through the post-processing process.

[ollypenrice]

Seconding Tim here.

No 'snaps' in deep sky I'm afraid, just hours of frozen self sacrifice and total dedication to our art...!!!

Olly

[lukebl]

I did think referring to 'snapping the Andomeda galaxy' would make a lot of experienced imagers here choke on their cocoa!

Imaging DSOs is a long and painstaking art. Many folk take images of a single subject over a period of hours, days, even weeks before they achieve something they consider acceptable.

Good luck, though! It is a huge learning process. But fun....Occasionally. As someone here has said: 'Hours of fruitless endeavour, interspersed with brief moments of satisfaction'. (Sorry if that's not a precise quote)