Quote:
Originally Posted by Atmos
The depth that can be achieved on dusty regions and the like can in some ways be less aperture related and more a function of aperture area and resolution. This is what makes the FSQ106 and KAF-16803 such a powerful instrument combination as Mike can attest to. Large pixels and F/5 sucks up photons and makes capturing fainter dust a breeze.
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Indeed, Colin! The "aperture rules" maxim is simplistic twaddle. What determines SNR is how many photons you can pack into each pixel. A small scope with a fast f/ratio in combination with a camera with large pixels works very well if what you care about is image depth (as opposed to resolution.)
My depth record currently stands at 27.6 mag/arcsec^2:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=114782
Cheers,
Rick.