Determining the Meridian for Imaging

[Aidan]

Went out last night and got some more data on my current target.  The mount did a Meridian flip after 5 images...   What’s the best/easiest way to pre determine if the mount is going to need a flip at some point?    

I tend to find that images all of the same orientation produce better stacks.

Rgds

Aidan

[swag72]

Planetarium software will be able to tell you when a target crosses the meridian. I use Cartes Du Ciel and the meridian line is a nice bright yellow so I can easily tell if it's going to cross  

In the world of automation though flips just 'happen' as if by magic!!!  

[Victor Boesen]

If you use stellarium then you can check when the object crosses the meridian.

(I don't know why the window is half transparent....)

[oobydooby]

If you click mouse on the window it will be solid, if clicked outide the widow it will turn opaque.   Seemples!

[Aidan]

Cool.   I use CDC mainly..  Have the options checked in Display..  Is there an icon on the main display that needs  pushing as I don’t see any line?

Now working in Stellarium... :-)

[swag72]

In CdC click on the following.

Setup > Display > Lines

I have the following ticked 

[Aidan]

It was me being a div...  and looking for a yellow line as per Sara's post!   I'll figure out how to make it more pronounced with a different colour later on!

Thanks all :-)

 

[swag72]

1 minute ago, Aidan said:

It was me being a div...  and looking for a yellow line as per Sara's post!   I'll figure out how to make it more pronounced with a different colour later on!

Thanks all :-)

 

Sorry! My line isn't yellow at all!!! I thought that it was - You can change the colours though to suit

[MarsG76]

As stated above, any planetarium software will show you when the object is, or will cross, the meridian but a lot (if not all) mounts will image past the meridian.

My CGEM goes upto 15 degrees past the meridian before the doing flip so I can image up to a hour after the object move past the meridian, perhaps you mount does the same, or similar thing??

[Aidan]

I expect it would go past by some degree.   In this case, i want to shoot west of the meridian - So by recogning i need to wait until about 2040hrs..

[Aidan]

1 hour ago, swag72 said:

In the world of automation though flips just 'happen' as if by magic!!!  

Yes indeed.  I have it setup in SGP... and although i have watched many times do it automatically, If i remember, ill always go and watch it... its quite a process to watch start to finish fully automated

[ollypenrice]

I'm surprised you find single orientation stacks beat ones with flip incorporated. I find the reverse, I'd say. The flip creates a kind of extreme dither.

Olly

[martin_h]

If you are using SGP the telescope tab will tell you how long to the flip (once you have started the run)