Imaging the Early Morning Sky

I have been experimenting with my DSLR, a Rebel XTi 400D. I know absolutely nothing about cameras, so it is experimenting in every sense. The manuals assume at least some knowledge, thus they are only minimally helpful. What little I have learned through just playing around, I still don't actually understand. I sure wish that I had a camera buddy to thoroughly explain my camera to me.

One of my biggest problems is that the camera rarely takes the same image, same scenario, same settings twice. If it works once, why won't it work again?

I set my alarm to get up early this morning, specifically to practice imaging. The weather was perfect - the gentlest of breezes with temperatures in the high 60s. Just before sunrise is probably my favorite time of the day. The air smells fresher; the birds are twittering their morning hellos; there is no noise of the day, like televisions, radios, and traffic; and the stars seem to twinkle more brightly. I managed a few images of the morning sky. This is Jupiter, in Sagittarius. We can see the teapot asterism beneath Jupiter, and the stars of Aquila and Scutum above.

Jupiter in Sagittarius - 2008 May 08 - 0500 EDT