Principles for Astronomical Imaging by Erwin Matys and Karoline Mrazek

++ the source is mother, the source is father
digital image processing is no substitute for a good image source. what the source lacks
cannot be processed into the result. often bad seeing, low transparency or strong winds
make it impossible to capture images of satisfying saturation or resolution. given the principle
that no source at all is better than a weak source, better stay home on these occasions.

++ if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong
during astronomical imaging sessions, murphy´s law gets a new dimension. experience
tells that the weakest element fails exactly in the most inconvenient moment. there is only
one way to avoid major technical breakdowns like ending up with the shaft of the dec-axis
sticking in your left ear: know your equipment, test your equipment, tune it, train your skills
and be confident.

++ every failure is valuable information
when messing around with low light-level sources, a lot of frames turn out to be trash.
this is nominal. what really counts, is the meaning you give a failure. every average result
carries a lot of useful information on what won´t work. take it and try alternatives that will work.
with time, equipment becomes reliable and techniques improve.

++ time flies on nightflights
the perception of time is a quite contextual matter. queueing a minute at a counter can take
hours - while the few minutes of a total solar eclipse seem to dissolve in seconds. especially
when running a night´s imaging program, time is never enough. to get the most out of what´s
left, pre-session planning is essential.

++ you are the limit
concentration burns energy fast. dealing with a large number of mostly black parts in the
middle of the night, trying to arrange them in a working configuration while struggling with
cold, wet and uncomfortable surroundings burns even more energy. as you slowly run out
of fuel, your instrument´s performance will decrease.

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	++ the source is mother, the source is father digital image processing is no substitute for a good image source. what the source lacks cannot be processed into the result. often bad seeing, low transparency or strong winds make it impossible to capture images of satisfying saturation or resolution. given the principle that no source at all is better than a weak source, better stay home on these occasions.
	++ if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong during astronomical imaging sessions, murphy´s law gets a new dimension. experience tells that the weakest element fails exactly in the most inconvenient moment. there is only one way to avoid major technical breakdowns like ending up with the shaft of the dec-axis sticking in your left ear: know your equipment, test your equipment, tune it, train your skills and be confident.
	++ every failure is valuable information when messing around with low light-level sources, a lot of frames turn out to be trash. this is nominal. what really counts, is the meaning you give a failure. every average result carries a lot of useful information on what won´t work. take it and try alternatives that will work. with time, equipment becomes reliable and techniques improve.
	++ time flies on nightflights the perception of time is a quite contextual matter. queueing a minute at a counter can take hours - while the few minutes of a total solar eclipse seem to dissolve in seconds. especially when running a night´s imaging program, time is never enough. to get the most out of what´s left, pre-session planning is essential.
	++ you are the limit concentration burns energy fast. dealing with a large number of mostly black parts in the middle of the night, trying to arrange them in a working configuration while struggling with cold, wet and uncomfortable surroundings burns even more energy. as you slowly run out of fuel, your instrument´s performance will decrease.