How does having long exposure help with distance in photos?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the concept of long exposure in astrophotography, particularly in relation to capturing distant astronomical objects, as exemplified by the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field Image. Participants explore how extended exposure times contribute to imaging faint objects and the technical aspects involved in the process.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how long exposure times help in capturing distant objects, suggesting that it seems coincidental for light from such distances to be captured during the exposure period.
  • Another participant corrects earlier statements about the observation sessions, noting that they were not continuous and involved multiple shorter exposures over time.
  • It is proposed that increasing exposure time improves the signal-to-noise ratio, allowing for the imaging of fainter objects and finer details.
  • A participant shares their personal experience with stacking multiple shorter exposures to enhance image quality, indicating that this technique is also applicable to amateur astrophotography.
  • There is a question about the feasibility of creating an Ultra-Deep Field Image using a smaller telescope and longer exposure times, contingent on the absence of atmospheric distortions.
  • Another participant discusses their limitations with exposure times due to tracking issues but mentions that some peers successfully stack longer exposures to achieve significant cumulative exposure time.
  • The impact of atmospheric conditions on imaging quality is highlighted, with a suggestion that eliminating atmospheric distortions would improve results.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the effectiveness and methodology of long exposure imaging, with some agreeing on the benefits of stacking images while others raise questions about the conditions necessary for achieving similar results to the Hubble observations. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific conditions and capabilities required for amateur astronomers to replicate such deep field images.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on atmospheric conditions, tracking issues with telescopes, and the varying capabilities of different imaging systems. The discussion does not resolve the technical challenges faced by amateur astronomers in achieving long exposure imaging.

Phys12
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The Hubble Space Telescope was able to take the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field Image thanks to the telescope being exposed to a single section of the sky for well over two months. But what I don't get is: how does keeping the telescope open for a long time help with catching distant objects? It can't be the case that it allows the light from that far away to reach us during that time, for it will have to be a big coincidence that we pointed only when it was first reaching us.

I tried to search for long exposure photography, but it mostly revealed how using that we can take pictures of moving objects differently by altering the exposure time. I couldn't find much on how it helps with seeing distant objects. How does it really work?

Correction: there were two sessions of observation-- one for over two months and the other for a little over a month.
 
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Phys12 said:
Correction: there were two sessions of observation-- one for over two months and the other for a little over a month.

and you will find even those periods were not continuous as others would have booked time on the scope during those months for doing other research
there may have been an hour here and an hour there etc etc over a period of several months to get a final exposure time for a number of hoursDave
 
davenn said:
and you will find even those periods were not continuous as others would have booked time on the scope during those months for doing other research
there may have been an hour here and an hour there etc etc over a period of several months to get a final exposure time for a number of hoursDave
And how exactly did all of this really help in imaging extremely distant galaxies?
 
Phys12 said:
And how exactly did all of this really help in imaging extremely distant galaxies?

because as you build up exposure time, you improve the signal to noise level and are able to image fainter objects or capture finer detailI will be doing the same thing tonite when I go out to image a comet and some other deep space objects
I will take a whole bunch of images and then stack them to produce a much better outcome than just a single exposureDave
 
davenn said:
because as you build up exposure time, you improve the signal to noise level and are able to image fainter objects or capture finer detail

Dave
And all of this happens by keeping the shutter open for a longer time and stacking different images together? If we did not have an atmosphere, say, then could I make my own Ultra-Deep Field Image by using a typical observatory with, say, 10 m. diameter telescope (by of course, increasing the exposure time/stacking all the images)? Why/Why not?
 
on the system I am currently using, I can do a maximum of one minute exposures before tracking issues become a problem

so I could do a bunch of 1 min exposures tonite, some more in a few days time and may some more in a few week's time when the next clear sky happens

doing so I could accumulate an hour or so of data
some of my fellow astro guys have no problems doing 10 min exposures and then stacking dozens of them to make the equiv of several hours of exposure time

no atmosphere just gets rid of all the distortions caused by air movement, light pollution etcDave
 
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davenn said:
on the system I am currently using, I can do a maximum of one minute exposures before tracking issues become a problem

so I could do a bunch of 1 min exposures tonite, some more in a few days time and may some more in a few week's time when the next clear sky happens

doing so I could accumulate an hour or so of data
some of my fellow astro guys have no problems doing 10 min exposures and then stacking dozens of them to make the equiv of several hours of exposure time

no atmosphere just gets rid of all the distortions caused by air movement, light pollution etcDave
All right, thank you! :)
 
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