Tried stacking 30 second shots of Orion without a tracker, got a weird blurry mess

I figured my tripod was steady enough for short shots, but the stars still trailed and smeared together. Learned that even a tiny bit of movement over time ruins the whole stack. Anyone know a good cheap tracker for a beginner?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan6041mo ago

Heard the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer is a solid starter tracker, what's your budget looking like?

bennett.patricia1mo ago

Ever notice how a tiny shake gets worse the longer you look at it? Like trying to hold a phone still for a video... your hand seems okay for a second, then the whole thing drifts. That's basically what's happening to your stars over thirty seconds. I started with a used iOptron SkyGuider and it made a huge difference without costing a ton.

adam7511mo ago

It's like when you're trying to thread a needle and your hand is steady at first, then the tiny wobble turns into a full shake. The longer you focus on staying still, the more your body fights you. That drift is everywhere once you start looking for it.