Jezphil

Thanks James. Checked it out and it does do all those things.

Thank you. Doesn't have to be Dusk, but I need something that will operate my Atik filter wheel also. Ekos sounds good if it guides and no, I don't have to use PHD if it means keeping things simple reducing different software programmes. Would it also change filters for narrowband imaging? Will check it out.

Is anyone using a plate solver in conjunction with Mac OS, Atik Dusk, PHD. And without ASCOM which I can't use for a Mac. Everything seems to be geared towards Windows. Have spent hours trying to find the best route through this but have hit a wall. Thanks in advance

I am looking at buying a new CCD camera and can’t figure out which of two cameras is technically more suitable, despite reading up on this subject. Would really appreciate any pointers you could give me and thanks in advance… I’m imaging DSOs with a SkyWatcher Evostar 120 ED, using a x0.8 reducer, so reducing 900mm at f7.5 to 720mm at f6. Seeing conditions mostly not great. Field of view just a bit larger than North America in the North America Nebula, and just about the length of the Andromeda galaxy, so not a big FoV and not an especially small f number. I’m choosing between the Atik 490EX and the Atik 460x. 460EX Sensor Type: CCD - Sony ICX694 /5 Horizontal Resolution: 2749 pixels Vertical Resolution: 2199 pixels Pixel Size: 4.54 µm x 4.54 µm 490EX Sensor Type: CCD - Sony ICX814 /5 Horizontal Resolution: 3379 pixels Vertical Resolution: 2703 pixels Pixel Size: 3.69 µm x 3.69 µm Given the middling f-number, lack of need for a sensor to suit a big FoV, not great seeing conditions, which one should I go for? The 490 has better resolution, but wider field of view with smaller pixels. Any thoughts?

Hello. I'm about to buy an Atik CCD camera. In the tech specs on Atik Cameras, the software is listed as Windows, except for the Horizon versions. I'm a Mac user, so hoping to use Dusk. This may sounds like a dumb question, but presumably Dusk can be used on the other Atik Cameras(apart from Horizon) also, as you have an Atik 414 mono? Did you have to download drivers to make that work, or just Dusk onto a Mac and it was good to go? Thanks in advance.

Actually, I've revised to this... Fit CCD Camera onto telescope and turn on Focus CCD Camera on any star Polar align Three star alignment (using CCD camera cross hairs on Atik Dusk software screen) Connect SkySafari Calibrate guide scope with PHD on near-meridian star, near equator Use SkySafari to move to target Start Guiding Use Atik Dusk stretched image to adjust framing Shoot DSO

Beginner here trying to establish the workflow setting up my telescope with Guidescope, Skysafari, PHD software, Atik CCD 'Dusk' camera software. It's a lot of fiddling around and I'm trying to figure out the best system. Is this the best order? Interested to see what you think as this might be a bit illogical... 1 Polar align 2 Three star align (using eyepiece). 3 Connect SkySafari 4 Calibrate Evostar X2 guide scope with PHD software on near-meridian star 5 Replace eyepiece, fit CCD Camera and turn on 6 Focus CCD Camera with Atik Dusk software on meridian star or one close 7 Find target and frame 8 Select star in frame with PHD guiding and begin guiding. 9 Begin shooting subs Would this make sense? Thanks in advance

Kens. Many thanks for this useful information. I’d wondered about this and didn’t know the answer. Much appreciated . I used the Guidescope for the first time on Friday. It took me a long time to set and focus. I got it functioning, although the graph was pretty crazy in places. It was windy and the telescope was almost vertical which might not have helped. Got a couple of hours of 5min exposures with Ha and Oiii. I put the Sii filter in for a third set but the telescope nudged against the mount as it tracked so I abandoned at 4.30am, as I didn’t want to reset and needed some zzzz. Ran off some darks and flats. Happy enough with my beginner level shots and will return for the Sii. I think this is all about pushing though the inevitable bumps and idiotic mistakes (in my case) and celebrating the things that do go according to plan. Cheers.

Thanks guys for all the above advice. I tried five minute exposures, unguided. First go, but it seemed to go okay and I was brutal about dumping subs that weren't sharp for stacking. I've only used darks, flats, lights (thanks Dave S). I'm stuck with the Ha image for now as it's been too cloudy to get RGB subs so far. I've created two layers of the same Ha image in processing, one version rich in colour with lots of middle tones, and without stars. The other layer of the same image for highlights and I combined the two, altering the mix until it looked okay and gave me some structure. The Ha filter meant I could get this image in my Bortel 8 south London back garden and with a moon, so it's definitely a good friend. Just got hold of a guide scope and Lodestar x2 guide camera to help these long exposures. Baffled now as I try to figure out the right settings and hook it up with PHD2, HEQ5 and SynScan which is going badly so far. I think this game is all about pushing through the bafflement and being bloody minded until you get to where you want to be. Anyway, my first nebula image...

Thanks for this. I'm using a Skywatcher HEQ5 mount. Ideally I'd polar align using the mount, start align with SynScan and continue using SkySafari6 pro.

Newbie question... I am setting up PHD2 to connect to a Starlight Express Lodestar X2 for auto guiding (has Synscan). I am using a Mac so won't have ASCOM. I'm linking Lodestar X2 to mount with ST4 cable and Lodestar to laptop with a USB cable. PHD2 is asking me to 'select your mount interface'. The menu options are EQMAC, Equinox 6, GC USB ST4, GPUSB, INDI Mount, none, On AO and ON camera. Do I pick 'GC USB ST4'? ... Guide Camera, USB, ST4 cable? If I click 'GC USB ST4' or 'on camera', I get a note saying 'Since your primary mount connection does not report pointing position, you may want to choose an 'Aux Mount' connection. The 'Aux Mount' drop down menu then offers 'None' 'INDI mount' and 'ask for coordinates'. This is baffling. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Brilliant. Thanks for this. I've been googling everywhere and this finally provides a solution to an issue I've trying to solve. Now I know it, this seems so obvious but I would never have figured it out without your post!

Problem solved. Thanks so much to Steve who has saved the day. I'm blown away by how helpful the community is here.

Newbie question here. First the bad news... I've been struggling with software to figure out how to combine H-Alpha images with RGB images, despite looking at online tutorials. The good news... I have a one-on-one tutorial lined up for Monday night to learn how to do this with with Photoshop. I've even managed to capture a decent enough, stacked, H-Alpha shot of the North America Nebula to use for this session taken from my south London back garden (see very low res attached). The issue... I was hoping to get an RGB image on a separate night to practice with, combining it with my H-Alpha image. But it has been too cloudy and the remaining two nights before the tutorial are looking too bad to get this done (bright moon, clouds, agh!). Does anyone have an RGB image of the North America nebula I could use to practice with? Ideally, it's an image that needs a bit of work and hasn't been made to look wonderful. I know you all take wonderful shots but if it's unpolished and a bit raw, that's fine as the idea is to work it up and combine it with my H-Alpha. Or... if you have an RGB and H Alpha of any other nebula I could practice with and use to combine on Monday, that would be equally useful. As an addicted newbie, there's been a lot to learn, but I've mostly managed to grapple with various beginner frustrations and clangers and keep moving up the curve (am still in the foothills though). But I've got a complete block with the workflow on this aspect, so I've had to put my hands up and ask for help in a tutorial... or as many tutorials as it takes to nail this. Is asking for someone's RGB and narrow band image heresy in the astrophotography world? er... you'll no doubt let me know. Thanks in advance.

Thanks Jason. Really useful information. I'm just tracking, not guiding. Camera is a Canon EOS Ra. I've checked the FoV on SkySafairi and realise I won't get all the nebula but this is fine by me. I'm planning darks, flats, bias and I've done these once before... am slightly fearful though that I only understand the basics of Pixisight so combining Ha and RGB might will be a challenge but I've got to try to nail it. 600s is a lot more than I was going to try, but will give it a go and see how it looks so thanks for the advice. Cheers.

Newbie here getting hooked. I've imaged only a couple of DSOs so far (Hurcules cluster and Western Veil Nebular) and have managed to grapple with the basics of PixInsight for processing. Still lots to learn. Heading out tonight aiming to capture the North American Nebula with Skywatcher Evostar 120ED Pro on Skywatcher HEQ5 pro mount with 0.8 flattened/reducer, so f7.5 reduced to f6. I have an Astronomik Hydrogen-Alpha 12nm Clip filter to use for this. I will try out a few exposures before committing to taking subs. With this filter should I expect to add a fair amount of length to my subs as it reduces light intake? Should I be looking at 300 seconds exposure maybe? What parameters would you expect? I plan to take the clip filter out and run off some straight RGB subs unfiltered of the same image to combine with the filtered ones in Pixinsight for HaRGB. Presumably the two sets of subs can be different exposure lengths from each other but are stacked separately in two batches before combining in Pixinsight? Any pitfalls her here? All thoughts and advice welcome and thanks in advance. Jez

Yes, I am doing flats, bias, darks. Thanks for your reply - much appreciated and useful. The TeleVue barlow isn't geared up with a full fame camera so I will crop in camera.

Thank you. The vignette is a solid circle which is an image of the equipment rather than a lens feature so this is about getting a clean, rectangular image all over, unobstructed by a hole shape. The camera is full-frame mirrorless so I think I will try the cropping and see how that goes, as there is a bit of room for manoeuvre, despite ending up with fewer megapixels.

Newbie question here. If I use my TeleVue barlow 2.5x with my Skywatcher Evostar 120ED Pro and Canon EOS Ra, I get a round black vignette around the image which seems to be the round mount adapter or tube that it is looking through. I don't get this with the field flattened/reducer so that's fine. If I go into crop mode in the camera , wich crops x1.6, the vignette disappears. I presume this is in effect a digital zoom using less of the sensor. Presumably this loses quality, but at least gives a non-vignette frame. So is it worth me doing this in-camera crop mode for stills, or am I better cropping in post? In which instance do I lose less quality? I know there is a recommendation to go into crop mode whilst taking video of planets for stacking, but should I use it in this instance? Thank you in advance.

Thanks for your replies both. Much appreciated. I'm trying to avoid buying any more filters for now after the initial outlay, so will see how it goes without. Lots to learn.... until a few days ago, I thought a 'flat white' was a coffee.

Newbie question here. I'll be out with my telescope in a couple of days (for only the third time) in a dark field in north Kent. Aiming for DSO shots of the Western Veil Nebula. The site in a field has Bortle rating 4. That's pretty good compared with my Bortle rating 8 of SE London. However, should I still consider using my Astronomik CLS filter? Or is it not necessary in these darker circumstances? Thanks in advance.

Carestro.. Just noticed your location. I am Streatham-based and have to head out to a dark site near Edenbridge to take astro pictures but also just about managing to deal with the challenging Bortle 8 of SE London. Just a beginner right now but hooked.

Thank you for your super speedy response! Much appreciated. For the lights frames I will point the telescope vertically to place a white t-shirt and light box on top and refer to the histogram. But this is fine isn't it?

Newbie question here... I saw this advice regarding taking flats: "You don’t want your focus, rotation, etc. to change before you get your flats since doing so will change your optical path to each pixel." What does it mean by 'rotation' here? Is this referring to rotating the camera at the end of the telescope? That would make sense, but just checking.

Owmuchnomy - thanks. Have ordered a 2.5 Barlow. Great advice much appreciated.