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AstroTortilla - previous sub for 2nd session plan?

Russe

By Russe
in Getting Started With Imaging

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teleskopjo

teleskopjo

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So I solved an image with AT, (widefield DSLR), which gave me:

2014-02-26 08:42:50,904 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field size: 23.5757 x 15.7856 degrees
2014-02-26 08:42:50,920 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field center: (RA H:M:S, Dec D:M:S) = (05:34:52.916, -04:37:23.837).
2014-02-26 08:42:50,937 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field center: (RA,Dec) = (83.72, -4.623) deg.
2014-02-26 08:42:50,989 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field 1: solved with index index-4215.fits.
Then I solved the same image with nova.astrometry.net, which gave:
Center (RA, Dec): (83.717, -4.595)
Center (RA, hms): 05h 34m 52.095s
Center (Dec, dms): -04° 35' 43.679"
Size: 23.8 x 15.8 deg
Field 1: solved with index index-217.fits.
My question is, which set of index files should I use for more 'accurate' solving (42XX or 2XX) ?
I am aware one uses the 2MASS astrometric catalog.
Regards
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teleskopjo

teleskopjo

Posted
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any insights ?

So I solved an image with AT, (widefield DSLR), which gave me:

2014-02-26 08:42:50,904 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field size: 23.5757 x 15.7856 degrees
2014-02-26 08:42:50,920 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field center: (RA H:M:S, Dec D:M:S) = (05:34:52.916, -04:37:23.837).
2014-02-26 08:42:50,937 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field center: (RA,Dec) = (83.72, -4.623) deg.
2014-02-26 08:42:50,989 - astrotortilla - INFO - Field 1: solved with index index-4215.fits.
Then I solved the same image with nova.astrometry.net, which gave:
Center (RA, Dec): (83.717, -4.595)
Center (RA, hms): 05h 34m 52.095s
Center (Dec, dms): -04° 35' 43.679"
Size: 23.8 x 15.8 deg
Field 1: solved with index index-217.fits.
My question is, which set of index files should I use for more 'accurate' solving (42XX or 2XX) ?
I am aware one uses the 2MASS astrometric catalog.
Regards
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Russe

Russe

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Love AT. Have put it to use properly tonight for the first time!

Polar aligned. Chosen Dubhe. Not quite in view of camera. AT!!! Centered. Focused. GOTO image (last session) iterate, iterate. Centered. PHD calibration and imaging session start.

I love it!!

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Russe

Russe

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Had a brilliant session last night. Was just too lazy to calculate how many hours I could image through the meridian and hence hadn't defined any mount limits. That can't be good for my mount I don't think...

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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Well, this country is a wind up... I survived a manic day at work, drove home looking out at clear skies, got home, set up, and..... yup, clouds rolled in before I could even start up the computer. Aaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhhh!

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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Well... I left the kit out for a while. Finally resigned myself to another failed night and started to pack everything back into the house. As I finished the clouds vaporised (I swear I heard giggling from the skies). I contemplated this fate for a moment and then somehow found the strength to lug everything back into the garden and set up once again.

I used AT to help find the first star in Alignmaster and this brought the star into view. Centred up and all subsequent GOTOs were virtually perfect. Hurrah! I didn't even need to use AT again to get on target. Brilliant. The clouds did come back after a couple of hours, so didn't manage any serious image runs. However, a fantastic leap up the curve and a massive +1 from me for Astrotortilla! Bring on a complete night of clear sky...

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Russe

Russe

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Cheers. I think the plate solve took around 3 or 4 minutes. Can't remember exactly.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same for me. Took 2 iterations and about 5 min. Doing it twice is a bit irritating. I might change 1 arcmin to 2 for finding a star to focus on and then go 1 arcmin for the actual image.

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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I didn't check the 'repeat until' button, so only did one cycle. The star was near enough to then center up. The forecast is for a clear sky tonight, so I'm hoping to get out and do it all for real and actually collect some subs! Dream on, huh!

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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I have no idea!

Am imaging too, having very successfully used AT to centre up M81. My trouble now is guiding... Graphs look good, but there's definite trailing in the stars - have tried 600s and 300s. 300s almost acceptable, but not enough data of the subject... Argh, this is all tricky! Have recalibrated my guide scope with the main scope and currently re-calibrating in PHD. Fingers crossed for a better result. It's getting late and cold....

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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That is just too luxurious - I'm freezing my bobs off!

Just managed a much better 300s sub only to find that PHD has frozen too! Restarted that and am re calibrating, yet again!

Interesting that you are struggling with 600s subs too - I wonder why that is tonight?

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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So... I have just reviewed an almost spot on 600s sub. Thank goodness! I have set an imaging run off now and can finally warm up on the sofa.

The question is this - which of the things that I did were enough to make guiding work better:

1. I aligned the guide scope with main scope more accurately - it was out, but not massively.

2. I reduced the guide camera exposure time from 2.5s to 1s.

3. I swore at the set up and then prayed.

Probably a combination of all?

Sorry to take this thread off on a slight tangent to the original post subject...

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Russe

Russe

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Part III must play a bigger role. Mhm - I've been a bit lazier lately. Polar alignment - slew to bright star for focus (not necessarily aligned star), slew to target, AstroTortilla (<1.0 arcmin), PHD, go.

Tonight, I'll align on 3 stars around the target and try again.

Just looked at last nights subs - cloudy between 3&5 o'clock. How irritating!!

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Christopher Davenport

Christopher Davenport

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Got very frustrated with AT last night as it just refused to solve. 

So I manually aligned everything took my first framing picture of M106 and it was extremley faint.

So had a look down the front of the dew shield and realised the whole lot was fogged up. :) 

No wonder AT was refusing to solve ... so annoying. (I need dew straps)

Anyway, I managed to blow dry the front and capture 25 x 360s at ISO800.

Now need to process them this morning and realised that the last 8 are basically throw away due to morning light and dew overwhelming.

So just stacked the best 16 frames and I am really struggling to get the signal out. (using DSS)

I know this is the wrong thread to ask but Is there a way to up the (ISO) of the signal before stacking my raw data?

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