Tried stacking multiple 30-second exposures of the Milky Way last month

I've been doing those single long exposures for years, usually around 4-5 minutes. Decided to try stacking about 60 shorter shots in DeepSkyStacker for the first time. The result came out way cleaner than I expected, like the noise just vanished and the dust lanes popped more than they ever did before. I'm still figuring out the software adjustments though. Anyone have tips for getting the color balance right after stacking?

3 comments

3 Comments

williamb2923d ago

Ha! So stacking is basically cheating your way to better astro photos, and I'm all for it now! I had the exact same experience when I finally gave it a shot - felt like an idiot for spending years fighting noise in single exposures. Glad I'm not the only one who had a "why didn't I do this sooner" moment.

karen_roberts423d ago

Right? "why didn't I do this sooner" is exactly what I said after my first stack too.

cole99423d ago

Used to think stacking was just for people with entry level gear or something. Tried it on a whim with 40 shots of the core last summer and yeah, it totally changed my mind. The noise reduction alone made it worth it, and I could actually pull out the Lagoon and Trifid without them looking all blown out. For color balance, I usually tweak the saturation and tint sliders in Lightroom after the stack, keeps it from getting that weird greenish cast.

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