View Single Post
  #126  
Old 02-10-2017, 12:26 PM
Peter Ward's Avatar
Peter Ward
Galaxy hitchhiking guide

Peter Ward is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Shire
Posts: 8,106
Quote:
Originally Posted by Camelopardalis View Post
1) Many of the exposures would indeed record no photon, only background sky. However, since the SNR increases with the number of subs, the statistics quickly discerns between noise and faint signal

2) Given the random nature of photon arrival, over the course of the 10 minutes the window of opportunity to miss the photon is longer with many shorter subs but over the course of the hour it is improbable (although not impossible) that the photon arrives while the camera is downloading on each occasion, and thus the stack still records a statistically significant photon
So I'll play devil's advocate here. Draw this to an extreme...say millisecond exposures. Still think we'll be collecting signal..if any...as quickly as the open shutter case?
Reply With Quote