Capturing the Seven Sisters: An Untracked Pleiades (M45) Journey

This is my first foray into capturing the breathtaking Pleiades star cluster, also known as M45 or the Seven Sisters. As a relative newcomer to the incredible hobby of astrophotography, I wanted to share my experience and the resulting image, even with the challenges of an untracked setup.

The Gear and the Vision

For this endeavor, I utilized my Sony A7IV camera paired with the Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 lens. The exposures were all taken at 70mm, pushing the capabilities of my setup.

The Process: A Data-Heavy Endeavor

My approach involved stacking a substantial 1250 individual 3.2-second exposures, all shot at f/2.8. For processing, I relied solely on Siril, a powerful open-source astrophotography software. The workflow included calibration, background removal, stacking, stretching, and finally, green noise removal and color calibration.

It's worth noting that handling such a large number of exposures presented a significant hurdle. A single set of these 1250 images amounted to between 400 and 500 GB. Due to Siril's processing methods, my 'Process' folder often ballooned to around 1 TB of data. To manage this, I had to store the data on my HDD, which unfortunately made the entire processing workflow considerably slower than I had hoped.

The Result

Despite the technical challenges, I'm quite pleased with the outcome. The Pleiades, with its ethereal blue haze and bright stars, is a truly captivating target.

What's Next?

This experience has solidified my passion for astrophotography. As I continue to learn and grow, the next logical step for me is to acquire a star tracker. This will undoubtedly open up new possibilities and allow for even deeper and more detailed captures of celestial wonders.

I'm excited to see where this journey takes me, and I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the cosmos!