Star Hopping with on-the-fly Astrometry

[themos]

Or I could introduce yet another "telescope", number 5 in Stellarium, a virtual one, and use that slot to keep the Target in. It could be a known object or some RA/DEC coordinates.

[themos]

If you are having trouble installing all the necessary packages in cygwin, try this:

In a cygwin editor, like vi, copy and paste the entire list of packages below, then save it as file inst.txt . It should all be one line, so "wc -l inst.txt" should report "1 inst.txt".

Then call your cygwin setup program like this

/cygdrive/c/Users/Administrator/Downloads/Cygwin\ setup.exe -M -P `cat inst.txt`

_autorebase,_update-info-dir,alternatives,autoconf,autoconf2.1,autoconf2.5,automake,automake1.10,automake1.11,automake1.12,automake1.4,automake1.5,automake1.6,automake1.7,automake1.8,automake1.9,base-cygwin,base-files,bash,bc,binutils,build-docbook-catalog,bzip2,ca-certificates,compositeproto,coreutils,cpio,crypt,csih,curl,cvs,cvsps,cygrunsrv,cygutils,cygwin,cygwin-doc,damageproto,dash,dbus,dconf-service,diffutils,docbook-xml412,docbook-xml42,docbook-xml43,docbook-xml44,docbook-xsl,dos2unix,dri-drivers,editrights,esound,exif,file,findutils,fixesproto,font-adobe-dpi75,font-alias,font-encodings,font-misc-misc,fontconfig,fvwm,gamin,gawk,gcc-core,gcc-g++,gcc-mingw-core,gcc-mingw-g++,gcc-tools-epoch1-autoconf,gcc-tools-epoch1-automake,gcc-tools-epoch2-autoconf,gcc-tools-epoch2-automake,gconf-desktop-schemas,GConf2,gcr,gdb,gettext,gettext-devel,ghostscript,ghostscript-fonts-other,ghostscript-fonts-std,girepository-GLib2.0,git,git-svn,glib,glib2.0-networking,glproto,gnome-doc-utils,gnome-icon-theme,gnome-keyring,gnome-mime-data,gnome-vfs2,GraphicsMagick,grep,groff,gsettings-desktop-schemas,gsl,gsl-devel,gsl-doc,gvfs,gzip,hicolor-icon-theme,ImageMagick,inputproto,intltool,ipc-utils,jpeg,kbproto,less,libapr1,libaprutil1,libarchive2,libart_lgpl_2-devel,libart_lgpl_2_2,libasn1_8,libatk1.0-devel,libatk1.0_0,libattr1,libaudiofile-devel,libaudiofile0,libaudiofile1,libautotrace3,libavahi-client-devel,libavahi-client3,libavahi-common-devel,libavahi-common3,libavahi-glib-devel,libavahi-glib1,libblkid1,libbonobo2,libbonobo2-devel,libbonobo2_0,libbonoboui2,libbonoboui2-devel,libbonoboui2_0,libbz2-devel,libbz2_1,libcairo-devel,libcairo2,libcanberra-devel,libcanberra0,libcharset1,libcom_err2,libcroco0.6,libcroco0.6-devel,libcroco0.6_3,libcurl4,libdatrie-devel,libdatrie1,libdb4.5,libdbus-glib_1-devel,libdbus-glib_1_2,libdbus1-devel,libdbus1_3,libecpg5,libedit0,libelf0,libEMF1,libesd0,libexif12,libexpat0,libexpat1,libexpat1-devel,libfam0,libffi4,libfftw3_3,libFLAC8,libfontconfig-devel,libfontconfig1,libfontenc1,libfpx,libfpx1,libfreetype-devel,libfreetype6,libfribidi0,libgailutil-devel,libgailutil18,libgcc1,libgck1-devel,libgck1_0,libgconf2-devel,libgconf2_4,libgcr3-common,libgcr3-devel,libgcr3_1,libgcrypt,libgcrypt-devel,libgcrypt11,libgd2,libgdbm4,libgdk_imlib-devel,libgdk_imlib1,libgdk_pixbuf2.0-devel,libgdk_pixbuf2.0_0,libgdk_pixbuf_xlib2.0-devel,libgdk_pixbuf_xlib2.0_0,libgettextpo0,libgfortran3,libgif-devel,libgif4,libgirepository1.0-devel,libgirepository1.0_1,libGL-devel,libGL1,libglade2.0-devel,libglade2.0_0,libglapi0,libglib1.2-devel,libglib1.2_0,libglib2.0-devel,libglib2.0_0,libglitz-devel,libglitz1,libgmp3,libgnome-keyring-devel,libgnome-keyring0,libgnome2-devel,libgnome2_0,libgnomecanvas2-devel,libgnomecanvas2_0,libgnomeprint2.2-devel,libgnomeprint2.2_0,libgnomeprintui2.2-devel,libgnomeprintui2.2_0,libgnomeui2-devel,libgnomeui2_0,libgnomevfs2-devel,libgnomevfs2_0,libgnutls26,libgomp1,libgpg-error-devel,libgpg-error0,libGraphicsMagick3,libgs8,libgs9,libgsf,libgsf1-devel,libgsf1_114,libgssapi3,libgtk1.2-devel,libgtk1.2_0,libgtk2.0-devel,libgtk2.0_0,libgtk3-devel,libgtk3_0,libgtkhtml2-devel,libgtkhtml2_0,libheimbase1,libheimntlm0,libhx509_5,libICE-devel,libICE6,libiconv,libiconv2,libid3tag0,libIDL2-devel,libIDL2_0,libidn11,libImageMagick1,libImlib-devel,libImlib1,libImlib2-devel,libImlib2_1,libintl3,libintl8,libjasper1,libjbig-devel,libjbig2,libjpeg-devel,libjpeg62,libjpeg7,libjpeg8,libjson0,libkafs0,libkrb5_26,liblapack-devel,liblapack0,liblcms1,liblcms2_2,libllvm3.0,libllvm3.1,libltdl7,liblzma-devel,liblzma1,liblzma5,liblzo2_2,libMagickCore5,libming1,libmysqlclient18,libncurses10,libncurses8,libncurses9,libncursesw-devel,libncursesw10,libneon27,libnetpbm-devel,libnetpbm10,libogg-devel,libogg0,libopenldap2_3_0,libopenssl098,libopenssl100,libORBit2-devel,libORBit2_0,liborc0.4_0,libp11-kit-devel,libp11-kit0,libpango1.0-devel,libpango1.0_0,libpaper1,libpcre-devel,libpcre0,libpcre1,libpcre16_0,libpcrecpp0,libpcreposix0,libpgtypes2,libpixman1-devel,libpixman1_0,libplotter2,libpng-devel,libpng12,libpng12-devel,libpng14,libpng14-devel,libpng15,libpopt0,libpq5,libproxy1,libpstoedit0,libpthread-stubs,libpulse0,librarian0,libreadline6,libreadline7,libroken18,librsvg2_2,libsamplerate0,libsasl2,libserf0_1,libserf1_0,libsigsegv2,libSM-devel,libSM6,libsndfile1,libsoup-gnome2.4_1,libsoup2.4_1,libspeex1,libsqlite3_0,libssh2_1,libssp0,libstdc++6,libtasn1_3,libtdb-devel,libtdb1,libthai-devel,libthai0,libtiff-devel,libtiff5,libtiff6,libuuid-devel,libuuid1,libvorbis,libvorbis-devel,libvorbis0,libvorbisenc2,libvorbisfile3,libwind0,libwmf027,libwrap0,libX11-devel,libX11-xcb-devel,libX11-xcb1,libX11_6,libXau-devel,libXau6,libXaw7,libxcb-devel,libxcb-glx-devel,libxcb-glx0,libxcb-render-devel,libxcb-render0,libxcb-shm-devel,libxcb-shm0,libxcb1,libXcomposite-devel,libXcomposite1,libXcursor-devel,libXcursor1,libXdamage-devel,libXdamage1,libXdmcp-devel,libXdmcp6,libXext-devel,libXext6,libXfixes-devel,libXfixes3,libXft-devel,libXft2,libXi-devel,libXi6,libXinerama-devel,libXinerama1,libxkbfile1,libxml2,libxml2-devel,libXmu6,libXmuu1,libXpm4,libXrandr-devel,libXrandr2,libXrender-devel,libXrender1,libxslt,libXt6,libXtst6,login,luit,m4,make,man,mingw-runtime,mingw-w32api,minires,mintty,mkfontdir,mkfontscale,netpbm,openssh,openssl,openssl-devel,perl,perl-DBD-mysql,perl-DBI,perl-Error,perl-ExtUtils-Depends,perl-ExtUtils-PkgConfig,perl-Image-Magick,perl-IO-Tty,perl-libwin32,perl-Locale-gettext,perl-ming,perl-Net-Libproxy,perl-SGMLSpm,perl-Tk,perl-Win32-GUI,perl-XML-Simple,perl_debuginfo,perl_manpages,perl_vendor,pkg-config,popt,postgresql,postgresql-client,postgresql-plperl,pulseaudio,python,python-libxml2,python-numpy,randrproto,rarian,readline,rebase,renderproto,run,sed,sgml-common,shared-mime-info,sound-theme-freedesktop,subversion,subversion-perl,tar,terminfo,terminfo0,texinfo,tzcode,util-linux,vim,vim-common,w32api,wget,which,xauth,xcursor-themes,xextproto,xf86-video-dummy,xf86-video-nested,xineramaproto,xinit,xkbcomp,xkeyboard-config,xml2po,xmodmap,xorg-server,xorg-server-common,xproto,xrdb,xterm,xxd,xz,zlib,zlib-devel,zlib0

[badgers]

Thanks for the updates themos, I can't wait to try this out myself.

I'll change the default port and add the temporary directory support and cleanups you suggested.

Anton

[ncjunk]

What a fantastic thread great work!

I have acp which now has a sync lost scope script using the astrometry api...but i am tempted to try yours just for a laugh!

good work

[Gonzo]

I haven't been able to find the answer to the following question:

Can Stellarium control an EQ3-2 (via guide port mod) on Linux?

[badgers]

I don't think so Gonzo as far as I know it only works on the EQ3-2 if you have the synscan upgrade.

Anton

[Gonzo]

you might be right there, according to http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Telescope_Compatibility it seems to works with Linux and a Skywatcher "SkyMax 127 goto" which has the synscan I believe.

[themos]

Gonzo, I think we can write an INDI driver for the autoguiding conversion we do on handsets like EQ3-2, EQ2, EQ1. It just amounts to sending a few characters down a serial port, E1 for "guide east", E0 for "stop guiding east", W1 for "guide west" etc.

[themos]

But that doesn't give you Gotos, of course.

[Gonzo]

Gonzo, I think we can write an INDI driver for the autoguiding conversion we do on handsets like EQ3-2, EQ2, EQ1. It just amounts to sending a few characters down a serial port, E1 for "guide east", E0 for "stop guiding east", W1 for "guide west" etc.

sounds like a good plan. Shame about the goto as I wanted to use this script here with Stellarium.

[themos]

I will use it with my EQ1. Ok, I can't do Sync or Goto but it tells me which way my target is from my current position. A few days back, I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out where this milkyway starfield was relative to the Veil Nebula. This script would have told me in 20 seconds and displayed it in Stellarium.

[themos]

Hello Anton, I wonder if you could get the more precise values for $ra and $dec by calling wcsinfo (as you do for orientation) on the .wcs file. It's a bit annoying that we lose the arcsecond accuracy that this system is capable of. I tried doing it myself but my perl skills are not there.

[badgers]

Sounds good, I'll do this tonight.

Thanks,

Anton

[themos]

any progress?

[badgers]

Sorry for the delay, I've been travelling.

This is updated now in the usual place:

http://www.ebi.ac.uk...dist/starhop.pl

RA and DEC are now fetched with Orientation information from wcsinfo so they are more accurate as suggested by themos.

Also fixed a bug where wcsinfo was being called from my path instead of the user's set astrometry path.

Anton

[themos]

yeah! I think it works!

[themos]

Used the latest in the field last night, EQ6 + 80mm f/6 + 450D. No problems whatsoever at 2.24 arcseconds per pixel.

[themos]

Hello again. Here's a suggestion from the audience (I presented this software at the Abingdon Astronomical Society tonight):

Why not provide not just one marker to StellariumScope but two: say, the centre and the bottom left corner of the image. That way, one will instantly know how to orient (and size) the CCD rectangle in Stellarium.

[badgers]

That's absolute genius. In principle I could provide one at each corner.

It's a real shame that I can't access the rotation information directly.

Something else I am working on is to allow the user to specify a target image, e.g. from a previous night and have it display a reticule for that, so that you can try and line things up exactly using EQmod.

I went EQmod last week after making another cable and this one is working properly, so the Sync/GOTO is working great for me now in combination with this.

Before I do this, I will contact the authors of the Sensors module and see if there's any way I can remotely set the rotation angle, or write my own module to arbitrarily draw shapes on the stellarium view.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Anton

[badgers]

Actually the cleanest route would be the Telescope Control Plugin.

Currently it can draw a circle around the centre point received. I would need to modify the module to accept rotation and scale information back with RA/DEC info and secondly to have an option to draw a rectangle instead of a circle if this info is received.

I might take a crack at this first because it's the cleanest solution I can think of.

Anton

[themos]

I don't know about cleanest, you have studied the stellarium plugin stuff in detail, but the quickest method would be to just send 2 positions, for two different "telescopes", one being the center and the other being a bottom left corner. You can get the ra/dec coordinates for the bottom left corner using the wcs-xy2rd.exe program in astrometry.net (you have to figure out which corner is pixel x=1 y=1)

[badgers]

Hi themos,

I've taken a look at the Stellarium Telescope Control source and I've already managed to get the perl script transfering the scale and rotation values into Stellarium by adding them to the end of the packet.

All I need to do now is to work out how to use the internal Stellarium calls to plot a rectangle.

Obviously, if this works I'd need the Stellarium devs to look at and accept the changes, but it would be a nice solution.

In the meantime, I'm happy to write a version that connects on two different ports, one for the centre and one for the corner.

[themos]

Sounds like a plan!

[badgers]

Here's a version with a corner for the solved image... took an age to compute the effective RA/DEC of an arbitrary corner.

This version requires two ports setup, one for image centre and one for a corner. The corner is at pixel 0,0 in the image.

http://www.ebi.ac.uk/~aje/dist/starhop_corner.pl

Still working on the Stellarium code hacking, I'm drawing things alright, just need them to appear where I need them.

A

[themos]

It worked! You didn't use the wcs-xy2rd command then?