Graphic CCD Imaging Primer
Imaging Made Easy and Fun!
Sequence Imaging

Another strategy is to take as many frames as possible at night and cull the trailed ones later.

This method is actually less work than the Real-Time Rejection method, but requires more hard drive space (you'll be saving any trailed images too).

Here is the procedure:

Choose your software:

 
Figure 1
 Sequence Window
  1. Click on the "Sequence" tab
  2. Specify a filename prefix (MaxIm will add a dash at the end of your prefix, AstroArt won't)
  3. choose an output path
  4. specify number of frames; In AstroArt be sure to check the "Autosave" option, otherwise your images will not be saved to disk!
  5. specify starting number (this is always "1" in AstroArt)
Choose your software:

 
Figure 2
MaxIm 3.x
  1. click the "Setup" button (see fig. 1)
  2. set exposure time
  3. set the Filter drop-down list to "Light" and check the "Enable" box, then click the "OK" button
  4. click the "Start" button in the "MaxIm CCD" window (see fig. 1)
MaxIm 2.x
  1. click on the "Expose" tab (versions 1.x,2.x) or click the "Setup" button (version 3)
  2. set exposure time
  3. check the "Sequence" box
  4. click the "Expose" button

Now that you have your gazillion images, use the power of the file "Open" dialog to quickly find which images are trailed.

Here is the procedure:

  1. click on the "File" menu
  2. click on the "Open" option
  3. navigate to your image folder
  4. click on the first file
  5. shift-click on the last file
  6. check the "Interpolate" box
  7. click the "Open" button
The MaxIm File Open Dialog
The MaxIm File Open Dialog
  1. inspect each image
  2. write down the names of the trailed ones
  3. use the "Open" dialog to delete the trailed ones (right click on filename, choose "Delete")

Typically, opening 6 images at a time is manageable on a 486. If your computer is faster and you have lots of memory, you can just open them all!