What is causing the banding? Please help.

[stephen99]

Here is a stack of about 2 hours of 3 minute exp. Atik 420 color camera on a Hyperstar with a celestron Edge HD8 scope. I over exposed the image to show the bands. What are they? How do I get rid of them? If you say flats that did not work and made it worse.

Any ideas???

Steve

[NickK]

Hmm if it's over stretched it could demonstrate aberrations in the optical train that the Hyperstar lensing is creating.

I get something similar with the Pentax, even though the field is flat as a pancake. Flats will resolve.

[bwa]

Steve,

Are you imaging with the full bit range of the camera?  I get something similar to this if I'm in high speed/low bit range mode, i.e.: not enough colors to correctly present the image.

Also, it could be Newton Rings; however, they appear too wide for this but...

bwa

[stephen99]

Not sure what you mean by the full bit range? I think I am. This has happened before. Just not sure what really causes it. also one other thing. I seem to have most of my images look wrong. Meaning at the top of the image its much lighter than the bottom.. This happens a lot. Thought it was my stacking software (DSS), but tried it in Nebulosity and the same thing. SO its the camera or the scope? Im using a celeston e2dge HD8 with hyperstar and the 420 color camera.

Steve