First go with Atik Ha and binning or not

[Carole]

Mike's suggestion of using binning for looping worked well.  I remembered to correct the settings for imaging first time around.

However, I could see after the first few subs (I left it running), that the object needed to be orientated 45 degrees around i.e. it was vertical and needed to be horizontal (Witches Broom), so I rotated the camera only to find I needed to re-focus.  So I slewed to Vega, refocussed and slewed back to target and carried on imaging but 2nd time around forgot to stop binning (which I needed during focus), well it was around 2am!!!  So now I have 7 x 20mins Ha subs binned x 3 !! Duh!

Now I partly understand binning in so much as you get a smaller image so you get less resolution and can capture data more quickly, but I've not quite got the complete picture and I have never binned before.

a) Does a 5min sub for instance capture as much detail as a 15 min sub if it's 3 x binned but less resolution.

If not could some-one please explain in dummy terms.

I now have 3 x 20mins unbinned subs Ha
and 7 x 20mins Ha subs binned x 3 - duh!

It's like going back to being a beginner again!!!

Carole

[Mike]

Carole here is an explanation of binning:-

http://www.ccd.com/ccd103.html

Also.. http://www.andor.com/learning-academy/ccd-binning-what-does-binning-mean

[Rocket Pooch]

Id recommend this http://www.willbell.com/aip/index.htm

[Mac]

1 min unbined  = 1 min
1 min binned 2*2 same as  4 mins unbinned
1 min binned 3*3 same as  9 mins unbinned
1 min binned 4*4 same as 16 mins unbinned.

in short a 1 min binned 4*4 image will collect the same amount of light as if you did it for 16 mins unbinned.

BUT,
your resolution is 16 times as small.

1024 * 768 = 1024 * 768
binned *2 = 512 * 384
binned *3 = 341 * 256
Binned *4 = 256 * 192

I used to do 1 min subs binned at 4*4 when setting up faint objects.

Mac.

[Carole]

Thanks Guys, been working today so only just picked up the message. 

Will study those links.

I think what Mac has said sums up what i had deduced, and on reflection I don't think I did Bin the subs, as there are two windows in Artemis, one is for looping (and that's the one where I forgot to untick binned after I had refocussed)), and there is one for an imaging plan called a sequencer and this has a separate box for binning images and this one most definitely wasn't ticked for binning, and this is where I set the images for capture.

Carole

[Carole]

Thanks Guys, that's a lot clearer.

Carole