Capturing the Milky Way Core: An Untracked Journey
Even under challenging conditions, the universe offers breathtaking sights. This image of the Milky Way core, captured with an untracked setup, is a testament to the power of dedicated acquisition and processing.
The Challenge: Untracked and Under the Moon
This particular shot was taken under a Bortle 4 sky. While excellent for deep-sky observation, the presence of an almost full moon added a layer of difficulty, potentially washing out fainter details. The biggest constraint, however, was the untracked nature of the setup. This means the camera and lens weren't guided to follow the Earth's rotation, making longer exposures challenging without star trailing.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Nikon D500
- Lens: 28-300mm
Acquisition Details:
- Frames: 179 frames
- ISO: 800
- Exposure: 4 seconds per frame
- Total Exposure Time: Approximately 12 minutes
Despite not being tracked, the relatively short exposure time per frame was crucial to mitigate star trailing. Stacking multiple frames helped to boost the signal-to-noise ratio and bring out the faint details of our galaxy.
Processing Workflow:
The journey from raw data to the final image involved a meticulous processing pipeline:
- RAW Conversion: Raw files were converted to 16-bit TIFFs using RawTherapee, with settings informed by best practices from ClarkVision.
- Stacking: Frames were stacked manually in Siril, without normalization to preserve as much data as possible.
- Denoising & Background Extraction: GraXpert was employed for its AI-powered background extraction and denoising capabilities. While time-consuming, the results were highly effective.
- Stretching & Adjustments: A statistical stretch from SetiAstro served as a starting point, followed by further adjustments using the GHS, Arcsinh, and curves tools within Siril.
- Final Touches: Adobe Lightroom was used for the final color balancing, contrast, and sharpening to bring out the full beauty of the Milky Way core.
Takeaway
This project highlights that impressive astrophotography is achievable even without advanced tracking equipment. With careful planning in acquisition and a robust processing workflow, you can capture stunning celestial objects like the Milky Way core. Give GraXpert a try – its AI features are a game-changer for denoising and background extraction!
