Meridian questions

[AlistairW]

So i just went downstairs and found my scope parked mid imaging session - i guess because i had limits invoked in EQMOD. So I stared the session anew, but the image was inverted. I presume this is because it passed over the meridian. Can i still stack these images - i.e. non-inverted and inverted ? - I actually stopped and parked scope to take darks - just in case i have misunderstood.

Thanks

Alistair

[Pompey Monkey]

Short answer: yes.

[AlistairW]

Ok - but do i need to rotate the images before the stack ? - if so - how ?

[D4N]

The stacking software should be able to figure it out. Depending on the software you may have to select an alignment method that accounts for rotation between the frames.

Don't manually rotate or all of your calibration frames will become invalid.

/Dan

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[AlistairW]

Great - I use DeepskyStacker - so I will try stacking and see what happens.

I think I still do not understand meridian flips and whether I need to be worried about them. I am on a pier mount, so nothing should crash unless I am imaging directly overhead. Or is that last statement false ? - Do I even need to enable meridian limits on a pier mount, as I think I can image way past the meridian ? - or again have I misunderstood ?

Anyway last night I think I must have done a meridian flip (astrotortilla had a flipped entry), then my images were inverted for a while, and then the scope parked, - and I am assuming that is because of the limits that were enabled in EQMOD.

I have never actually seen the scope flip, as I run this from indoors and not seen it happen.

Alistair

[D4N]

If the images are inverted then it certainly flipped.

Whether you can get away without a flip will depend on if there are any points the scope could clash with the mount and on your cable management.

You could release the RA clutch whilst holding the scope and move it through its full motion at different declinations and see if there are any points it will clash on.

I find the flips most annoying as the guiding really doesn't like it.

/Dan

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[AlistairW]

Dan, so obvious now you mention ... like you say I could check by just releasing the RA.

Thanks

Alistair