My neighbor insisted I needed a star tracker for my old DSLR, and after a blurry shot of Orion, I finally bought one.

He was right, because my first tracked photo of the Andromeda Galaxy from my backyard in Phoenix last night came out sharp enough to see dust lanes, so what's a good beginner target to try next?

4 comments

4 Comments

aaron7402mo ago

Oh man, congrats on Andromeda! That's a huge win. After my first tracker success, I went for the Orion Nebula. It's bright, easy to find, and even with short exposures you can pull out a ton of that pink gas cloud detail. It really builds confidence.

thomas_sanchez2mo agoTop Commenter

Pink gas cloud detail" sounds like a big deal for some stars.

the_piper2mo ago

Honestly, I think the Orion Nebula is way overhyped for beginners. It's so bright it blows out easily and you don't really learn much about processing. Starting with a harder, fainter target forces you to get your settings and stacking right from the start. Why go for the obvious shot everyone has?

gavin4691mo ago

Orion's definitely the confidence builder everyone talks about... that pink glow is super satisfying to pull out for the first time. The tracker makes all the difference too, getting those longer subs without star trails really shows what the gear can do. It's a solid next step after Andromeda for sure.