My First Stacked and Processed Big Dipper Image: A Bortle 3 Journey
It's always a milestone moment when you take your first real attempt at stacking and processing astrophotography images. For me, that journey led to capturing the familiar sight of the Big Dipper, and I'm excited to share the details and the results with you all!
The Acquisition
This image of the Big Dipper was captured under a Bortle 3 sky, which is fantastic for capturing faint celestial details. Here's a breakdown of the acquisition parameters:
- Camera: Canon 450D
- Lens: Kit lens at 18mm
- Aperture: f/3.5
- Mount: Fixed tripod
- Lights: 50 frames
- Calibration Frames: 10 flats, 10 darks, and 10 bias frames
One of the unique aspects of this project was building my own shot sequencer software. Being on a Mac, I wanted to have more control over the acquisition process, and it's been a fun learning experience so far. I'm genuinely excited by the results this custom software has helped me achieve.
Stacking and Processing
The raw data was stacked and processed using Siril on my Mac. The process of combining multiple frames (stacking) is crucial for reducing noise and bringing out fainter details that would be lost in a single exposure. Following that, the processing steps in Siril are key to enhancing the contrast, color, and overall appearance of the final image.
I'll admit, I've been looking at the processed image and wondering about the subtle choices I made. Did I push the processing too far? Or is this the sweet spot? That's where the learning happens in astrophotography, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts!
Your Feedback is Welcome!
This is my first significant foray into stacking and processing, and I'm really happy with how the Big Dipper turned out. I'd love to get your feedback and any suggestions you might have. What do you think of the details? Are there any processing techniques I should explore next time? Your insights are invaluable as I continue on this astrophotography adventure!
Clear skies!
