Hot take: stacking filters on my telescope was ruining my deep space shots

I spent six months using a UV filter and a light pollution filter together on my 8 inch dob in the backyard near Pittsburgh, thinking more glass meant better results. Last week a guy at the astronomy club showed me a single exposure from his setup without any extra filters and it was way sharper than any of mine that had 30 minutes of stacking. Anyone else ditch extra hardware and see an improvement in their raw captures?

2 comments

2 Comments

carr.xena4d ago

Oh man, have I been there? I spent like a full month convinced that my UV filter was protecting my shots from... space radiation or something ridiculous like that. I guess I thought more glass = more good, but in reality I was just stacking beer goggles on my telescope and wondering why everything looked like a blurry mess. Honestly, it reminded me of the time I tried to use a pair of 3D movie glasses to help with lunar photography - not my brightest moment. Idk, maybe it's just me but sometimes you gotta admit when you've been overcomplicating things for no reason.

rosel835d ago

Did you try taking a picture through a screen door too? I hear that really brings out the nebulae.