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I'm sure that this question has been asked before but I'm relatively new ! Not sure if the reply should account for actual imaging hours once your rigs are on the go with a sequence? Maybe just a breakdown of 1/ Imaging hours and 2/ Processing hours? (and maybe 3/ AstroBin hours!?) |
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Imaging: maybe 30 minutes of setup time, planning the sequencer and such. Hit go. My scopes stay outside under cover. Processing: I figure at best I put out an image a week, and I spend around 4 hours per image, but sometimes I spend multiple nights because I'm not happy with the outcome. So let's say 8 hours a week. Astrobin: I browse alot, look for new ideas, realistically an hour a night at most though. Staring at NINA as the subs come in..... Countless hours lol. |
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So for me, it can't be a per week scenario, as right now for example, it is constant clouds. But another month of the year will be decently clear. Then, this past summer was always smoky from the Canadian Fires. However, this year was my first year (2nd full year in the hobby) where I tracked all my imaging, only counting the amount of light subs taken, so not including set up, travel, calibration frames or time post processing. So, so far in 2023 I have imaged a total of 124 hours and 6 minutes over 49 targets (or same target, different filter or night). Of that 124 hours, I only used 88 hours and 30 minutes of the data, which puts me at using 71% of my acquisition data. I would then usually spend probably a couple hours doing the post processing per individual target, depending on different factors. I also have my tracking broken down into how much of the time was with what scope setup, what filter and the like. I have not posted all my work on Astrobin, so my Astrobin total hours is only 215 hours, with another image I am planning to upload shortly. Hoping for more clear skies! -Chase |
4.07
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I run a web serie called Continuum, where in each episode we explore a new region of the sky in the form of a large mosaic : https://youtube.com/@spacetimepictures After 17 episodes, my workflow is starting to be ironed out. Now, for a typical episode, hours breakdown would be something like this : - remote telescope planning and maintenance : 6h (the scope runs almost every night though..) - data preprocessing, processing : 12h - animation, editing : 12h - rendering, upload, data management : 2h at the desk, but 20h for the computer ^^) - social networks, planning, writing, picking music : 8h I release around 3 episodes per month, making an average of 30 hours per week. So... kind of full-time  |
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| Wow, a loaded question haha! Great answers so far. I probably average anywhere from 6 to 9 images per year. This year I managed to get out eight images. I wish it could be more, but between work, grandkids schedules, clouds and just plain exhaustion, for right now I'm okay with it. I'm hoping that as I look forward to retirement in a few years that will give me a bit more time. But when I do image, I try to spend at least 15 hours on a Target sometimes more sometimes less, in acquisition time. Then probably 4 to 5 hours of post-processing time. |
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| Probably three hours a week of reprocessing old data because it’s been cloudy for two months. |
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Uhm, pretty loaded, innit? Let's say 52 images per year (at least, so far, since 2020), that is 1 image per week. Locally produced ones are on the heavier side, 12 hours or more and some may take few years to accrue the necessary data in my marginal skies (B6/B7 - UK). Remote can be anything from 30 min to 2 hours but in general around 1 hour. Depending on the image anything between 2 hours to 24 hours of processing and rendering. I assume that I, at least, spend 1 hour on the AB site, per day. I spend also a lot of time outside given the my rigs aren't that much automated and in fact some not at all, except for goto. So target selection and auto-guiding settings, refocusing, checking everything works fine and cloud alert has to be done live. Planetary imagining requires full attendance so you may have to freeze your buttocks out there, but there you go... In short; a lot. |
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Depends on the weather mostly. If it's clear I generally try and image. Setting up and actively monitoring it for maybe 2-3 hours per night, after that it's on it's own. Then a bit more time in the morning to take flats and break down depending on the weather. When I have new data I could go like, 2-3 hours per day trying to process it to something I'm happy with. When the weather's not cooperating, maybe a couple hours per week. I'll go to old data or other people's data that they post. Otherwise I spend a decent amount of time window shopping for things I can't afford. |
8.02
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When I was still traveling to my dark site it was: 2 hour drive there 45 minutes to set up 2 mounts Camp overnight, sometimes stay 2-3 nights 2 hour drive home. I was doing that almost every week so.. A big time investment. And that doesn't count the time spent processing the data. Pre-processing generally takes about 30 minutes. An hour if it's a large project. Editing generally doesn't take more than an hour. Add all that up and you can easily say I invested days of in a week imaging and maybe 3 hours editing. |
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I spend every clear night imaging. But that is only about 1 hour to start a session, do the flats and darks. However, many nights are needed for acquisition, the processing is about 2 hours after all data is collected... CS Tim |
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Imaging: around 200h a year processing: maybe 50h a year astrobin and other similar sites: maybe 1h a day fighting my gear acquisition syndrome: 24/7 cs Andi |
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| Really depends upon how many clear nights I get. Right now my nights are almost 11.5 hours plus a couple of hours of data calibration in the am. I run two rigs at a time so things can be busy depending upon target choices. |
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Lasse Skov: @Lasse Skov - hahaha I know how that feels |
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Does reading Astrobin's forums and liking images count ? If not then thanks to the cloudy weather it has been 0.00 hours in the last 6 weeks   |
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Typical per target. May be more, maybe less, but this is a realistic allocation of time for my processes. 2 hr Research. Climate/moon projections, subject matter, filter options based on target ie. SHO, HSO, LRGB, and framing options. You tube suggestions. 1 hr Set up. Before dark. Rig set-up, leveling, balancing and orientation before dark. 1 hr Programming. After dark. Polar alignment. Auto run setup. Guiding, Target framing, 7 hr Average programmed run, periodic checking of subs early, and morning. Lights, darks, dark flats. 1 hr Next morning: Take Flats. Bring in rig. 1 hr Setting up File directory with subfolders for Lights, Darks, Flats, Dark Flats, Tiffs & Jpgs 3 hrs Processing. DSS Stacking. Photoshop Processing. Lightroom. Tablet/phone upload of JPGs. 2 hr Astrobin. Upload & documentation. Comparison with other processing of similar targets, and equipment. Conclusion. You have to love this hobby, you have to be obsessive, you have enjoy the detail, and be resigned to the fact that you can always do better. because the cosmos are amazing. |
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That’s a hard question to answer accurately. I run two telescopes for ~ 7 hrs every clear nights. With around 300 clear nights a year that averages out to about 5.75 days a week over the year, which works out to about 40 hrs/wk x 2 = 80hrs/wk. I only take flats once or twice every year. I might spend a week or two processing a single image and lately I’ve only been turning out maybe just 10 images/yr. (I take a LOT of data but I’m very picky about what I actually use.). I don’t spend any time for set up since my scopes are remote—in Chile. The amount of time I actually spend getting each scope going every night might be as quick as 8 minutes but there are many times when I might mess around with things and spend a couple of hours experimenting and tweaking to see if I can improve the performance. So, I can’t even begin to add up all the time I spend on AP but it’s a lot…and that’s not counting all the hours building and testing new equipment for my scope (and occasionally for others.) John |
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...and don't forget: /4 tinkering with gear hours 😵💫 /5 shopping for gear hours 🤑 |
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My remote observatory is in a chaparral, or high desert environment at 6350', in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. High altitude, dry and cold...i have three instruments in 3 separate domes that are currently operational. I only shoot when the moon "isn't up". Talking clear nights and including time when the moon is up is meaningless. Clear moonless nights is where the highest SNR yield subs are taken, even from my Bortle 1-2 skys. My issue is not clear skys, or lack of instruments, but rather power. As all scopes are "off the grid" and solar powered. I have a real issue with powering all the instruments so I normally only power one at a time. This issue will be resolved next year with the addition of 12 more solar panels and 1600Amp hours more batteries. I track the integration with each of the three telescopes. Taking the CDK17 since commissining last April 2023, thats 38 weeks. I have 500 hours of moonelss integration or 13 hours per week. Clear moonless nights is where the viable data is obtained. Another 15 hours of research and processing gives 28 hours per week. i am still actively upgrading and maintaining the observatory and making monthly trips to retrieve data while designing and constructing new instruments. So all total 40 hours a week or a full time retirement project. I host other amateur and professional imaging efforts on occasion. I write a local "Sky Report", for the remote community,etc. So its a full time work week of amateur astronomy passion... It just dosen't get any better!!! |
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I haven't taken my actual telescope outside just yet. Very soon I'm gonna try out my setup (AVX mount, Celestron C8-N tube, Canon R5, ASIair Mini, Orion deluxe mini guidescope, ASI 120-mm mini guide camera.) I hope it works out; I know I'm gonna get some field curvature and probably vignetting, but I'll maybe go for a PN or globular cluster as my first target. The last time I did astrophotography (it was with a tripod, untracked, unguided with a wide-field lens) was around December 10, 2022. I spend about 15 to 30 minutes total on Astrobin every 2 days. Some days, another 15 to 30 minutes on CloudyNights. And yet some other days, 10 to 30 minutes on Chess.com, usually playing Bughouse  For processing, I might spend up to 2 hours, but that's uncommon (it's usually takes longer for stubborn or messed-up data, if you know what I mean). And check out my gallery from last year's data... |
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I live under Bortle 2 skies, in an area with around 30% photometric nights. I have built two small dedicated observatories for my Nikon 200mm f2 and GSO RC8. I also run a small bespoke astro-tourism business, where I host visitors in the vineyard/brewery and we sample the local produce as the telescopes swing into action. [They get the completed AP of their favourite object at the endo f the night]. Set-up takes around 20mins, and if I doing a tour there is about 90mins talking about the Universe and a "grand tour" of whats in the sky. If there are no guests, I just leave it alone until I get up in the morning [another 20mins closing down]. Either way most of the data taking is done while I sleep. Probably spend around 4hours [2 x 2hours for each scope] post-processing the single target made each night. I do inspect the subs first with Blink/Sub-frame selector, but after I set WBPP to run, I just leave it to run. [WBPP can take hours... I have other things to do]. Then its post-processing which is a little more time-consuming. But even that has speeded up thats to BXT/NXT/SXT and Bill Blanchands's star reduction script. So that make around 2.5nights per weeks 4hours processing per night and 2.5hours on guided tour nights, 1 hour on solo nights. So, on average, 10-15nights per week - excluding 10days around bright of moon. Also around 2 hours/week on line with AP [mostly AB] and currently 10hours per week working on a Dark Sky Application for our local region and chairing a charitable trust dedicated to the promotion of dark skies, astronomy and Maori culture through astrophotography [this includes talks and organising exhibitions] Around 25hours (awake) a week on AP, including the long-term strategy to ensure our dark sky is promoted and preserved. My time is split evenly between doing the AP and ensuring the next generation can also do AP. Fortunately I am retired, so I do also have time to devote to brewing for the local community and some pro bono environmental and technology gigs both here in NZ and in Australia. Honestly, I don't know how I ever found the time to work for a living. |
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Probably too much time :-) Overall I‘d say 20hours per week, either for - actully acquiring (which is 30min setup on my terrasse and then taking data for hours automatically) - when the sky is clear, which on average only every fortnight. - processing data including tutorials to improve workflow and tool deployment - almost all on PixInsight. I usually process immediately the next day after acquisition - data management - tinkering on the setup and improving it, ie trying to collimate on an artificial star inside - finding my way into new gear So basically, whenever its clear I shoot, otherwise I process & tinker, but only once everyone has gone to bed :-) Arny |
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| Only a fraction of the time I would be spending on it if I didn't live under the semi-permanent cloud dome that hangs over the U.S. Pacific Northwest. |
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I just realized that I never answered my own question ! Between the primary rigs that I own (an Edge 14 - permanent mount in backyard Mississauga Ontario Canada and an Esprit 100 - travel throughout Ontario, Canada) and one that I operate (a RASA 8 - at a friend's ranch near Paso Robles California). I also have another rig in South Africa ready for any time that I'm there). Central California has the most clear nights - as a permanent non filter optical chain I only use this near the new moon - Ontario, Canada is horrible - very few clear nights in the winter, few (and short) clear nights in the summer, often poor seeing too AND a B8 zonel; the good thing is that it hardly maters if the moon is up or not! So maybe an overall average of 5 to10 hours acquisition, 10 - 15 hours processing (and reading AP stuff) and 5 hours of AstroBin per week? (I rarely watch any TV as it's mostly rubbish!). I would definitely spend even more time on AP if possible! Thanks everyone for your stories! Pete |
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Looking at Astrobin, this year I posted 40 targets and those targets were 492 hours of imaging time. An average of 12.3 hours per target. The first target was shot on the 27th March and the last on the 4th of December, so call it 8 months. So 1.25 targets/week or 15 hours per week imaging time. Processing, not much, maybe 3 hours per target max. With the skies I get and with the fact that this was my first 'proper' year I hope all these numbers can be seriously increased... We will see. |
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Since I got my edge 8, I spend most of my time here. I’ve shot about 4 hours on a single target in the last 2 months. Milton ontario does not have ANY clear skies anymore. I’d shoot all night almost every night if I could. |
