How to Manage Satellite Trails in Astrophotography (2026 Guide)

If you take a long exposure of a popular target like the Orion Nebula(M42) or the Pleiades(M45), there is effectively a 100 % chance that at least one satellite will cross your frame.

The good news ? A single satellite trail contains a very small amount of energy compared to the hours of signal you are collecting.While a single frame might look "ruined," the collective dataset remains healthy.The key is shifting your mindset from "preserving every frame" to "curating a robust dataset."

The primary tool for erasing satellites is mathematical, not manual.Modern stacking software(PixInsight, DeepSkyStacker, AstroPixelProcessor) uses a technique called ** Sigma - Clipping **.

** How it Works:** 1. The software aligns all your frames. 2. It looks at a specific pixel(e.g., Pixel[500, 500]) across 50 different frames. 3. It calculates the average brightness(and the standard deviation, or 'Sigma') for that pixel. 4. If one frame has a pixel that is 3 + standard deviations brighter than the others(a satellite trail), the software "clips" or ignores that pixel for that specific frame. 5. The result is a clean stack where only the consistent signal(the nebula) remains.

To help the stacking software even more, you should use a technique called ** Dithering **.

Dithering involves slightly shifting the camera position(usually by a few pixels) between every shot or every few shots.

** Why Dither ?**

• ** Fixed Pattern Noise:** It prevents "walking noise" by ensuring that sensor defects don't stay on the same part of the image.
  • ** Trail Rejection:** By shifting the background stars relative to the sensor, you make it even easier for rejection algorithms to spot "transient" light like satellite trails that don't move with the stars.

In the past, many photographers favored very long exposures (e.g., 10 minutes). Today, the "Short and Many" approach is superior for satellite management.

By shooting 2-minute "subs" instead of 10-minute ones, a single satellite crossing only affects a tiny fraction of your total exposure time. If a satellite ruins a 10-minute shot, you've lost 10 minutes of integration. If it crosses a 2-minute shot, the impact is negligible and easily handled by sigma-clipping.

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