Imaging over multiple nights?

[LAW (Murphy)]

Hey everyone, with my unexpected success at auto guiding I've started to consider taking a more hardcore approach to replace my previously lethargic imaging routine.

One thing that has me stumped is how to gather useful data over multiple nights? Is all the data processed at the end or is it processed every night then the processed images are stacked?
I've been leaving my cameras attached to the scopes so the defraction spikes align

And how do those of you with EQ mounts invert the images taken past the meridian? These are problems I've never really had to think about before so I'm sorry if thy appear silly.

[scagman (John)]

Hi Murphy,

I'm just learning all this stuff too and its a big learning curve. I'm using PisInSight to stack my images. I stack all my images together. Software will flip/invert the images at the same time.

Nice image by the way of M8.

Cheers

[Jon (Jonathan)]

DSS will calculate the meridian flip transformation automatically, and does a pretty good job stacking images from successive nights so long as the orientation of the field is more-or-less the same.

[RickS (Rick)]

I usually process all the data in one go when it is all collected (though I often do some basic processing to check the quality from night to night).

As John just said, image registration tools will normally deal with a meridian flip automatically. I used PixInsight too and it does a great job. The trick is making sure that you're pointing to the same place after a flip - plate solving is very helpful for this.

Cheers,
Rick.

[LAW (Murphy)]

Brilliant, thanks guys!

[RobF (Rob)]

Are you using EQMOD Murphy?
Plate solving is definitely worth reading up on too as Rick says

[DavidTrap (David)]

Plate solving is your friend - both for meridian flips and imaging on multiple nights. Data may sometimes be collected over months or even years!

DT