As you become more proficient with CCD imaging, the need to take longer exposures becomes obvious. Longer exposures improve image quality, show fainter details, and provide richer color images.
Long exposures require some kind of guiding, preferrably using some kind of CCD-based guider.
Some cameras integrate guiding features, while for other cameras you need some kind of external guider. This chapter explains the options available, the plusses and minuses of each option, and shows you how to get the most out of whatever option you choose. Galactic detail is elusive - you need long exposures to capture details like you see here. Guided exposures allow you to take very long exposures. In a guided exposure, the changing position of a guide star tells the software how to move the mount in small amounts to maintain perfect alignment for long exposures.