Attempting longer subs.

Ok Guys! Every image I've posted, you guys have said needed more exposure time. So I tried some longer guided subframes. Attached is an image of M63 I took Feb.28th. The image is a median combine of four twenty minute subframes, I'd have taken more, but I spent the first couple hours just taking my darks, three subframes got blurred from vibration or guiding errors, then my scope dewed up around 4am, so this is the most exposure time I was able to get in one night. The median combine was initally processed with DDP, then touched up with curves and unsharp mask in PS.
SV102/EM200/ST8

Attached Image:

James,

Interesting photo, and lots of potential detail. But one thing you said kinda disturbed me:

"but I spent the first couple hours just taking my darks, "

I'm not the world's best astrophotographer, but I hang around with some people who are very good. And they all take their darks later, rather than first. They have explained to me that if the getting is good, get the light exposures first. Save the dark exposures till when the clouds come, or the mount is screwing up, or when the dew is doing, or, if need be, till the refirgerator at home. The only important thing about darks is that they be at the same temperature (and ISO, time, etc.)as the light exposures.

Is there a reason you do your darks first, rather than later?

Alex

Hi, James.
To get the most out of your system you need to adjust your exposure times to get your background ADU to a certain level.
To make it easy, just go here:
http://www.ccdware.com/resources/subexposure.cfm
have a 3 minute exposure with a dark applied, and the program will give you the optimum exposure length for your system.

dan kowall
photonhunter.com