Should I Bin?

[blinky]

According to my figures when my QHY8 and the reducer are used on my SCT I am imaging at 1.3 arcsecs/pixel. Now from what I have read, the seeing in the UK is rarely above about 3 arcsecs/pixel (does that sound correct?) so, that being the case, should I not just bin my images 2x2 and then I will be imaging at 2.6 arcsecs/pixel and I wont be loosing any detail but will gather twice as much light - or have I completely misread/misunderstood some article:confused:

[SteveL]

If you bin a OSC, you lose the ability to image in color (the 4 RGGB pixels all report back as one combined pixel )

[andrew s]

Also you should sample at half the seeing to capture all the detail so !x1 is ideal in your case! Andrew

[ollypenrice]

In mono, binning colour can be a good time saver but there is no free lunch. Star quality goes down. I never do it if an Ha layer is envisaged or if shooting low above the horizin, say below 25 degrees. Nor I do it my shortest focal lengths. In fact I never do for myself at all any more but naturally time sometimes constrains guests so then we discuss it and they can, of course, decide.

Olly

[narrowbandpaul]

1.3"/pix is about right blinky....

i wouldnt bin at that resolution.

AndrewS is right in that you need to sample at twice the resolution (twice the frequency) to capture all details up to half of the sampling rate...

so imaging at 1.3" allows you to perfectly reconstruct all details up to 2.6", which is the limit of british seeing approximately. Binning would limit you to 5.2" which is larger than the seeing from typical locations I would guess, and you would lose resolution.

paul

[blinky]

Thanks for the information guys - In the back of my brain something is ringing a little bell from my electronics studying about A to D converters and running at twice the resolution.......

It never dawned on me that I cannot bin anyway as I have a OSC! Still binning is good for framing so at least I have some use for it!