I don't see rays in areas, only individual stars. In any picture *from the same scope *, you will see the same number of rays, but the same star field photographed through a different scope might have a different number. Just because they look next to each other in a picture doesn't mean they are in the same area, they could be a hundred light years deeper in space, and probably are. Distance and brightness make a difference too, and atmospheric haze in the earthbound scopes.
Here's an article about getting the "starburst" effect with a camera deliberately which goes into the optics a little. They are diffraction lines. https://www.lightstalking.com/starburst-effect/ You notice his examples have many rays. The number of starburst rays on real stars depends on the internal structure of the telescope, can make 2,4,6,8 points. https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/11156/what-causes-horizontal-and-vertical-lines-coming-out-of-pictures-of-stars https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/why-do-stars-look-crosses-photographs
I don't see rays in areas, only individual stars. In any picture *from the same scope *, you will see the same number of rays, but the same star field photographed through a different scope might have a different number. Just because they look next to each other in a picture doesn't mean they are in the same area, they could be a hundred light years deeper in space, and probably are. Distance and brightness make a difference too, and atmospheric haze in the earthbound scopes.
Thanks for the additional research, fren!
No problem, now I know a new camera trick. :)