Planning software for imaging sessions

[Zadoq]

Hi,

I came across AstroPlanner by accident. I've just started getting my head around it and before I learn more about it, I was wondering if it's an application that imagers use to plan their sessions or whether they use another program.

I'm basically after some software that gives us the following information:

• what day in the year an object is at its highest (when it crosses the meridian that day)
• for a given day, at what time an object crosses the meridian
• any other information that would help determine whether or not if it's worth imaging an object a given day

Thanks

Nico

[Merlin66]

Nico,

AstroPlanner is the way to go!

I've been using it for the past seven years......Paul had done a great job.

[michael8554]

COELIX LITE (free version) has a Graphical Almanac  that displays every day of the year on one chart.

It shows the planet's and Moon's rise, transit and set times as diagonal lines on the chart.

Dusk and dawn as an hourglass figure, widest at the start and end of the year, and narrowest in the summer.

And much more.

But that's just a part of it, it's also sky maps, planetarium, ephemeris, and telescope control.

Michael

[perfrej]

Hi folks!

I just want to add to your train of thoughts here...

I do not use any planning software at all. Instead, I use things like Stellarium to simply see if the object in question is reachable from my two locations, one at 59°N and some, one at 44°N. If they are reachable they are entered into ACP Scheduler after which I can go do something else. The scheduler splits all "projects" into one-hour plans, and every clear moment it opens the roof, selects the plan that is most suitably positioned and runs it. That takes one hour, and then scheduler goes on and makes the same kind of assessment. If the sky clouds up it closes the roof. If it clears up later the same night it re-opens and continues with new decisions every hour.

When you enter targets into the scheduler database you set constraints, like sky quality, moon avoid, moon down, lowest altitude or allowed hour angles. In addition you can specify individual priorities.

This concept has one disadvantage: you get all projects completed ketchup bottle style at the end. To avoid that you keep only a few targets active for a period, and you can modify the priority if you feel that you are a bit low on one of the colors or something.

ACP Scheduler takes away all needs for detail planning, and I find that very useful. It will always make the best effort to bag as many subs as is ever possible, and there simply is no other way to maximize the imaging time that you get. As you understand, I am an automation guy Come to think of it, there is one way that I can improve my imaging time right now, and that is to change a defunct focus motor arrangement with a functioning one so that I can image IN focus again...

All the best,

Per

[NickK]

Hi folks!

I just want to add to your train of thoughts here...

I do not use any planning software at all. Instead, I use things like Stellarium to simply see if the object in question is reachable from my two locations, one at 59°N and some, one at 44°N. If they are reachable they are entered into ACP Scheduler after which I can go do something else. The scheduler splits all "projects" into one-hour plans, and every clear moment it opens the roof, selects the plan that is most suitably positioned and runs it. That takes one hour, and then scheduler goes on and makes the same kind of assessment. If the sky clouds up it closes the roof. If it clears up later the same night it re-opens and continues with new decisions every hour.

When you enter targets into the scheduler database you set constraints, like sky quality, moon avoid, moon down, lowest altitude or allowed hour angles. In addition you can specify individual priorities.

This concept has one disadvantage: you get all projects completed ketchup bottle style at the end. To avoid that you keep only a few targets active for a period, and you can modify the priority if you feel that you are a bit low on one of the colors or something.

ACP Scheduler takes away all needs for detail planning, and I find that very useful. It will always make the best effort to bag as many subs as is ever possible, and there simply is no other way to maximize the imaging time that you get. As you understand, I am an automation guy Come to think of it, there is one way that I can improve my imaging time right now, and that is to change a defunct focus motor arrangement with a functioning one so that I can image IN focus again...

All the best,

Per

Hehe was thinking of something like this - including adding the images to a star atlas. So you get a buildup of the targets over time

[Zadoq]

Hi folks!

I just want to add to your train of thoughts here...

I do not use any planning software at all. Instead, I use things like Stellarium to simply see if the object in question is reachable from my two locations, one at 59°N and some, one at 44°N. If they are reachable they are entered into ACP Scheduler after which I can go do something else. The scheduler splits all "projects" into one-hour plans, and every clear moment it opens the roof, selects the plan that is most suitably positioned and runs it. That takes one hour, and then scheduler goes on and makes the same kind of assessment. If the sky clouds up it closes the roof. If it clears up later the same night it re-opens and continues with new decisions every hour.

When you enter targets into the scheduler database you set constraints, like sky quality, moon avoid, moon down, lowest altitude or allowed hour angles. In addition you can specify individual priorities.

This concept has one disadvantage: you get all projects completed ketchup bottle style at the end. To avoid that you keep only a few targets active for a period, and you can modify the priority if you feel that you are a bit low on one of the colors or something.

ACP Scheduler takes away all needs for detail planning, and I find that very useful. It will always make the best effort to bag as many subs as is ever possible, and there simply is no other way to maximize the imaging time that you get. As you understand, I am an automation guy Come to think of it, there is one way that I can improve my imaging time right now, and that is to change a defunct focus motor arrangement with a functioning one so that I can image IN focus again...

All the best,

Per

Thanks for the info Per.

Sounds like hell of a setup! I'm into automation as well (not achieved much yet, but wanting to)

We are planning on building a small garden observatory, so I got very excited when I read your post. Even if we don't have rain and cloud sensors, automated opening and closing of the roof, we could take advantage of a just-in-time scheduler that would maximize imaging time but also the quality of it.

And then reality hit. I went to http://scheduler.dc3.com/ find out more about ACP Scheduler. It only comes bundled with ACP Expert which retails at just under $1500 !!

Shame the price isn't sensible...

Nico

[Zadoq]

COELIX LITE (free version) has a Graphical Almanac  that displays every day of the year on one chart.

It shows the planet's and Moon's rise, transit and set times as diagonal lines on the chart.

Dusk and dawn as an hourglass figure, widest at the start and end of the year, and narrowest in the summer.

And much more.

But that's just a part of it, it's also sky maps, planetarium, ephemeris, and telescope control.

Michael

Thanks Michael. Will check it out