Comparing Astrophotography Integration Time

[@AstroExploring]

I realised when editing that I talked a lot about sharing images on social media. There is of course much more to astrophotography than social media :)

[@AntPDC]

And indeed to astronomy itself when considering Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EAA). The image you got at only 5 minutes is a million times better than what could be achieved at the eyepiece. In EAA, when livestacking is coming in via SharpCap etc, one has the incredible pleasure of seeing the object indoors via WIFI and looking up the details in astronomy apps, Wikipedia, even in books, and understanding their properties - why they appear the way they do and what caused them to do so.

[@sjbastro]

Sorry, I don't understand your point... 😉😁

[@PATTACAT72]

I can't believe the equipment you use to get shots like these. The other guys are using stuff that cost 15 times more and looks the same as your work. Good job!!!

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks so much! I guess sky quality is an important factor. I’m lucky to live in Bortle 4/5 skies whereas some others are in the middle of the city

[@ekalbkr]

Thanks Nick! Your detailed examination of increasing integration times hammered home the weakness in my process: I tend to 'object hop' over the course of a night, resulting in total integration times of 1- 2 hours for an object, then struggling with processing to reveal only an adequate image. Now that you have gently rubbed my nose in it, it is 'time' for me to change my ways. And yes, I hit the "subscribe" button!

[@ferenc-x7p]

You got some very good dynamic range, nicely separating all the little details! BTW, I use the ZWO duo-narrowband filter, which is what I call the "poor man's L-Extreme". It offers a similar performance, but also prone to add halos on stars. I talked to some people about this, some said, because using a doublet telescope, but that can't be if I hear from people who use a triplet also get halos, as well as on a Newtonian reflector which is free from any chromatic aberrations, there are still halos on some stars, which I can also confirm, since I have one of those too.

[@briankotak403]

Great video Nick! Huge difference in image quality between 5 minute and 6 hours of integration time. Spectacular image too! Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks Dr B!

[@markmuller3086]

Nick, beautiful 6-hour image! Question: did the number of calibration frames change with the different number of lights? If not, should they change with the number of lights?

[@razorwind5949]

i compared my images too (1x5mins vs 115x5mins). the only difference i notice is the massive decrease in noise. and because of that, i can also stretch more. When i stretch the pictures exactly the same in photoshop, they will look exactly the same in terms of brightness. you can just see the details better because theres basically no noise at all.

[@freeandcriticalthinker4431]

Awesome comparison video! Cheers

[@febsat]

Hi Nick. Most people would be very happy to achieve any one of those images. Impressive. I would like to ask you about the ZWO 533 camera. I got one awhile ago, but have yet to set it up. My astrophotography hobby was put on the back burner for the past 7 months, but I am now in a postion to resume the nighttime fun. Would you care to share some of the experirences you have had using that camera? I would be interested to know if you have some particular settings that perform the best. I had been using a good Nikon DSLR, with amazing results, but eventually took the plunge into dedicated when there was a sale on the 533 MC Pro. Trial and error is a great teacher, but if I would certainly appreciate getting a good starting point based on what you have accomplished with that camera. I use a William Optics GT81. I did buy a filter tray to use with the 533 and also purchased the Optolong L-Extreme filter. Thanks and cheers from Canada.

[@onthemove301]

Really interesting video, but you should have a warning about flashing at the outset because I'm seeing an alternative window appear for a few seconds after you switch to a new main image.

[@dovber90]

Another really useful and informative video Nick

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks Rob!

[@DLMVegas]

Thanks for this video. After about a year and a half of doing this I am finding that longer and more exposures are necessary myself. I got an Astronomik H-Alpha filter for my Nikon D810 but it is a pain to use in the middle of shooting. I found when I do use it that you better have everything in your setup locked down tight. The first time I was putting in the H-Alpha in the camera body, the camera body itself tilted back slightly. I've contacted Optolong several times now about their L-Extreme or the L-Enhance filters for Nikon cameras and never got any response at all. I can only assume they only make filters for Canon cameras.

[@gregmckay666]

Dark mode... it would make it so much easier to see the faint subtle differences if you switched to Windows dark mode so the area around the images were dark. Just a helpful suggestion.

[@capturethephotons2078]

Bortle class 4 is not bad!! Clear skies

[@goatsuukerhill]

Thanks Nick. What is noise? How does it show in astro pics? I am not sure what you are are seeing as noise in your images. Is it the dark mottling? I have been told my images are noisy because they have too much tiny, blotchy white spots. Warren

[@jesuschrist2284]

Great video. But the full version is not 70 times better than the 5min. We need a diminishing returns graph. Everyone needs graphs. Great video again though ty

[@jesuschrist2284]

I always set to highest quality cos i love moire noise from jumpers ;)

[@DarkSecretsVideos]

Why do the images look better over time? Whats actually happening?

[@MartinLeeney]

Thanks for the video. Have you tried with no filter?

[@stillontheedge]

Hi Nick. A well put together video, thanks and yes, I came to the same conclusion as you. Are you still stacking in DSS or have you graduated to Pixinsight. I'm still very much in ther dark with PI, however so far I can't see any difference apart from the silly amount of time PI takes.

[@AstroDust]

Wow amazing

[@crm114.]

Excellent video. I rarely get more than 4 hours from one night but I do like my sleep. Personally, I’ve found as you get beyond 5-6 hours the improvements are quite subtle. For OSC anyway.

[@physmc1]

The solution is to automate the gear: you can sleep while the computer gets the images for you :). The statistics makes is that you need to quadruple exposure to get a 2X gain in SNR. So 1 hour -> 4 hours -> 16 hours would get 2X improvement at each stage.

[@crm114.]

My gear is fully automated but because of the position of our house, the front drive is the best imaging spot which make the kit quite vulnerable.

[@AstroExploring]

Thanks Cliff! I think you’re right, for my own imaging it’s really only the noise that is changing once you get beyond a couple of hours

[@saerin5991]

Thanks for your video ! It would be easier for you to switch between pics if you make them as layers in photoshop. You can easily show/hide to compare with previous ones while staying at the same position. :)

[@AstroExploring]

Great idea, thanks!

[@OnceShy_TwiceBitten]

now do the same for 10 second.... 300 sec. and 20 min exposures.. . or more... and see how it affects the need for more frames... and what you get with a LOT of loooooong frames.