han59

Would it help to have a program to convert batchwise all available FITS files to 16 or 32 bit TIFF? No loss of quality. Then there is no need for a plugin. All stack programs can export to TIFF or PNG so the need for Photoshop to read FITS files only exists if you want to stack with Photoshop. Han

Automation makes it possible to use any brief clear sky moment. Imaging an object is not restricted to a single night. You could have 90 minutes of clear sky, take a series of images and continue imaging the same object next clear night. My only setbacks are occasional bad USB connection and computer freeze. The computer freeze is mainly caused by the memory module connector of my old 2009 desktop. The old desktop is permanently placed in my astro shed. It was never designed for the cold and occasional high humidity environment with continuous ventilation. But it has survived already 5 year in the shed. Making the connection a few times normally fixes the problem. One of the two old harddisk doesn't like temperatures below zero so it is used as secondary disk. Han

Thanks again Don. The new ASTAP version 3.19 with asteroid annotation is available to play with. Han

Hello Don, The last image is also fine for me. The two are spot on. Thanks again for providing. I have now enough images for testing and can finish the interface. Will be released in one or two days. Han

No binned 2x2 is fine. Yes please some more for testing. No need for applying darks or flats. It is very stormy here but the sky is now partly clear. But very risky with my flap-open roof. And still some rain is coming.... Han

Now it becomes clear, CCDstack has modified the DATE in the header. The comments by CCDCiel are removed by CCDStack. Okay no problem. Always use DATE-OBS Han

Hello Don, This one matches also well. Took some time to prove but looks all good! I'm only a little puzzled by the two dates in the FITS header: DATE = '2020-02-11T19:45:42' DATE-OBS= '2020-02-11T19:10:42' What is the Windows file time of the original file? Thanks for providing the image! Han

First the one of Michael. This are the result I get at 17:32 UTC and 20:37 UTC. Looks very good. Thanks! Magnitude is 13.1: UTC 17:32 UTC 20:37:

No, but if possible try to set it correct

Hello Don, More then 3 month back will most likely give a too large offset. The program uses the MPCORB.dat file from the minor planet center. Unfortunately you can only download the latest MPCORB.dat version, not one from 3 months ago. My intention is to check the rather complex calculation. The annotation should be spot on. You can just load a FITS file (or raw) in the program (astap) , press solve button, press annotate asteroids en it should work. The UTC observation time and location on Earth is read from the FITS header or has to be entered manually. Yes a new image Vesta or Metis will do. If you can make a second one some time later then the movement will prove which object is an asteroid. Han

For the testing new software to annotate asteroids on images, I'm looking for recent images containing asteroid(s) tracks. Preferably in FITS format (with start exposure date) or with the original file time. Is there anybody who can assist? Han

Thanks for the feedback. I'm just waiting for a Sun spot & clear day for further testing. Han

Yes it will work with any camera including OSC sensors as found in a DSLR. The basic principle it pretty simple. It analyses the image on higher frequencies. How sharper the image the more higher frequencies (faster changes in grey) can be found. For practical reasons the focus curve is displayed upside down to make it compatible with a V-curve based on HFD or FWHM. By default the algorithm groups the pixels in 2x2 so a bayer matrix as found in OSC doesn't have any influence. Han

Today I have uploaded on Youtube a live demonstration of autofocus on the Moon: https://youtu.be/8eWxTQTmYBk Han

That could be an option but will require some significant amount of work. Interface should be INDI. There is already an existing INDI sky simulator using the GSC star catalog, but I have never tried it. Is there something to improve? Note that I just fixed a small problem with the "go default" button and it is just uploaded as Sky simulator 1.9. Han