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Multi Session Imaging


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Not sure if this is the right section, but I am sure one of the excellent mods will move it if needed.

Until recently I have been a single night imager. However clouds and the rotation of the planet can stop me getting all the data I want.

Plate solving has made it really easy for me to return to a target and point exactly at where I was during the last session. 

So I plan image over a couple of nights.

But...

How do I process the data?

One night is easy - Lights, Darks, Flats, Bias + DSS = photoshop fun.

Imaging on different nights will require different flats... so do I stack different nights separately? Do I combine  the resultant TIFFs  in photoshop?  Do I stack the TIFFs in DSS? I'm just kinda guessing!

 

I've seen file groups in DSS, but there seems to be not a lot of guidance on using them.

 

So what so you guys recommend?

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I think that the answer depends on your setup.

When I an doing narrowband I don't need "fresh" flats.  I'm currently using flats that I took last year.

If I am doing LRGB, then I need flats between every filter change.  For whatever reason, I don't see any effects of dust bunnies with the NB filters.

Flats also seem much more important when I image with my Tal200, than when I image with my FSQ106.  I've no idea if this is due to the different focal lengths.

I shoot darks about once a year - maybe less.  I don't use bias at all - preferring flat darks for my flat frames.

 

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Generally I've been shooting fresh flats after every session - just part of the routine I do.  While I usually take the camera off, I could always leave it in place.  

For the way tend to work (one target at a time) I'd not be moving focus or camera until done. So that actually makes life super easy.

The bonus is not having to do multiple flats... I hate shooting flats.

Thanks!

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