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Looking for feedback and advice re: initial attempts at Astrophotography

Started May 12, 2021 | Photos thread
Sittatunga Veteran Member • Posts: 5,406
Re: Sequator
1

Advi wrote:

Andy01 wrote:

Advi wrote:

Use sequator. It is a very useful freeware (no ads) software.

It allows you to stack multiple shots, compensating the movement of the stars.

Only if you get the basics right and use an appropriate shutter speed. It doesn't compensate for star movement at all, but if you take a bunch of shorter exposure shots that don't show trailing, you can stack them together to reduce noise.

This program stacks photos. And you can select which part of the picture is ground and which part is sky.

Each picture will be divided in 2. Ground does not move, sky does. Sky needs to compensate for being moving, ground does not.

Take a lot of pictures, and the last photo take with caps on (completely dark). This will be your noise photo.

Most modern cameras have smarts that mostly negates the need for darks (at least according to Roger Clark).

This software requires a noise picture.

I've used Sequator without any dark (noise) exposures. Sequator allows you to use them but doesn't require them. You should use dozens of dark exposures if you are going to use them, otherwise you can make things worse.

Basically, use daylight colour balance, a short enough exposure to stop movement and RAW.  Stretch the histogram afterwards.  My problem with the summer Milky Way is that it doesn't get properly dark here until August.

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