guiding on a moving object (comet, asteroid)

[Wiu-Wiu]

The title is quite clear: I want to guide on a comet or asteroid, and not on a star. 

I would think it's just a matter of looking it up in the finderscope (if that even works), and locking onto it. But is this possible with "faint" objects like comets, which often don't have a core, or are too dim to see in the finderscope?

 

I recently bumped up my gear to iOptron, and I now have the possibility to connect the mounts to a computer. Would that be an option? (I guide with an MGEN but have experience with PHD2, funny enough that's just why I switched to the MGEN ) 

I have NO experience with setting other goto or guiding-rates, not even sure the iOptron would accept those.

[steppenwolf]

3 minutes ago, Wiu-Wiu said:

I recently bumped up my gear to iOptron, and I now have the possibility to connect the mounts to a computer. Would that be an option? (I guide with an MGEN but have experience with PHD2, funny enough that's just why I switched to the MGEN ) 

This is the method I use with comets - guide on the comet's core. This, of course, means that the stars will appear trailed but I like the effect of movement that this imparts.

[Wiu-Wiu]

indeed, I want to be able to image faint details in the tail and that can only be achieved by guiding on the comet. Problem is I don't think it will be visible in my finderscope (at least, not with the MGEN, but maybe PHD will be able to produce better images, but how do you guide on a "faint blob" ?

[tooth_dr]

I recently imaged comet 21/P GZ by guiding on the comet nucleus.  I used a finder guider, and 3.5 second exposured in PHD2, with a ASI120MM.  The setup coped well with the blob, and I was able to get extended exposures, but the sky conditions were not ideal (large moon).  My finder guider is well aligned to the main imaging scopes.

[kens]

PHD2 has a feature that lets you guide on a star but adjust its lock position to match the movement of the comet

https://openphdguiding.org/man-dev/Tools.htm#Comet_Tracking

[Merlin66]

I use AstroArt for all my camera control and processing.

It has the facility to track on comets and other moving bodies.

Check out the demo version.

http://www.msb-astroart.com/

[Astrofriend]

Hi,

I have tried off axis guiding with PHD2 and it worked but some problem at that time with the direction of corrections, maybe solved today. It was long time since I used it, only doing balcony astronomy so I'm a bit limited.

 

Here is the turorial I wrote:

http://www.astrofriend.eu/astronomy/tutorials/tutorial-comet-autoguiding/tutorial-comet-autoguiding.html

 

If you only want to follow the comet without guiding you can offset the speed of the mount's motors. I have an EQ6 controlled with EQMOD.

 

/Lars