Intentionally, I think.
knova
BlueSky is another corporate microblog platform, which could end up going the way of Twitter. I'm not saying it will be bought by a fascist billionaire, but they will be beholden to advertisers at some point in the near future.
I would highly recommend finding a Mastodon, Akkoma, or GoToSocial instance that aligns with your values and use that instead. If you are concerned about the network effects of not being on the 'biggest' platform where all the celebs are, there is a Bluesky->Mastodon bridge available.
1 more question I forgot to ask earlier - what camera body are you photographing with?
When it stops snowing here, I'm looking forward to trying out my new Canon EOS R8, which I think is going to be a decent upgrade from my Rebel T3i (aka Canon 600D)... better low light performance off the bat, full frame which means I can stop doing crop sensor conversions, and higher MP count. Not to mention it's lighter which will stress my tracker a bit less (with a heavy lens I was basically at the weight limit already).
and while you are at it, what 500mm lens are you using?
Are you using a tracker at least?
I think my next big upgrade from a basic Star tracker, which does work for stuff like this, is a GoTo mount with tracking. I know there is also software that continuously monitors an image and communicates with the mount to ensure your intended object stays locked in frame (this may be the auto guider you mentioned) - I have not looked into this
Nice job! I have been in the position of getting dew on the lens. I’m a newbie too, still lots to learn.
Something I learned is extra stacking only removes noise (which is important), it doesn’t actually “enhance” the amount of light received. I think my next attempt at a deep sky object will be something like 5 minute exposures, but only stack 20-25 of them. Someone correct me if I’m wrong about how I’m thinking about this.
Yes, but it’s not relevant to the point I was making