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Clare and Peter, Dark frames are produced for long exposures by the camera firmware when shooting in JPG format, that's why they appear to look less grainy. Add to this the data compression that the firmware also applies to the JPG, gives the illusion of a smoother result but at the expense of less detail. Have a go at shooting in RAW format and apply your own Darks to the RAW light files in Deep Sky Stacker. Start off by taking at least 20 light frames and perhaps 10 dark frames. To take Dark frames, cover the lens so no light can enter and use the same exposure and ISO while the camera is still outside on the tripod. It's important to shoot the light and dark frames at the same ambient temperature.
It will then be interesting to compare your RAW processed result with one shot in JPG. Good luck!
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