Measuring elevation/altitude of stars....

[Brutha]

Hi All,

I still don't really know my way around the night sky that well, so I often have trouble identifying which star is which, relative to what I've seen in Stellarium etc.

One thing I thought might help is if I knew the elevation/altitude of the star in degrees, I could easily check that against Stellarium. I would like a quick and easy way to do this, without having to get the scope out etc.

So, I tried the "Measure" app on my iPhone, and sighting along the side of the phone worked very well! But it's a bit of a pain - you can't see the readout at the same time as sighting on the object you are measuring.

Does anyone know of an app which could give me the elevation read out while looking at the front of the phone? Then I'll 3d print a little sight to pop on the top of the phone!

Also interested in other suggestions for achieving the same thing!

Thanks,

Brutha

[dobblob]

 

Here's a nice little inclinometer $29. I use it myself to determine the altitude of the various trees and buildings around my observing site to compare them to the altitudes given in Stellarium.

It has a "HOLD" button to freeze the reading and at 400 mm has a long edge to sight by.

Also comes in handy for leveling tripods and mounts.

B01K72ELI2 Risepro Inclinometer Amazon item #.

Edited December 21, 2019 by dobblob

[Stu]

What about using one of the augmented reality apps like Skyview? You hold the phone up and it shows the sky via the camera with an overlay of the stars, identifying the one in the centre of the screen.

[lux eterna]

Having the Stellarium app in my Android tablet, I can hold the tablet to different parts of the sky (facing the screen) and it will "slew" around with me, trying to match the built-in compass and clinometer readings with the center of the Stellarium sky map. Works pretty well.

Ragnar

[Brutha]

Thanks all, some good ideas to play with there!

I've done a bit of thinking, and for a fun project, I think I am going to build myself a little 3d printed Arduino based inclinometer with a red dot finder, bit like a Telrad but with a LED inclination measure as well as the dot - will post the results here later if I end up getting time to make it!

[joe aguiar]

Theres easier none teck ways that dont need a phone apps internet or wifi

Using your hands and fingers u can measure how far stars r or how high trees or houses r from the horizon 

Joejaguar 

[Brutha]

Thanks, funnily enough I did try the fingers method and it sort of worked, no doubt I could improve the accuracy by calibrating my fingers!

I think I'll try the DIY inclinometer though, there is something satifying about building your own gadgets!

[joe aguiar]

On 21/12/2019 at 09:26, Brutha said:

Hi All,

I still don't really know my way around the night sky that well, so I often have trouble identifying which star is which, relative to what I've seen in Stellarium etc.

One thing I thought might help is if I knew the elevation/altitude of the star in degrees, I could easily check that against Stellarium. I would like a quick and easy way to do this, without having to get the scope out etc.

So, I tried the "Measure" app on my iPhone, and sighting along the side of the phone worked very well! But it's a bit of a pain - you can't see the readout at the same time as sighting on the object you are measuring.

Does anyone know of an app which could give me the elevation read out while looking at the front of the phone? Then I'll 3d print a little sight to pop on the top of the phone!

Also interested in other suggestions for achieving the same thing!

Thanks,

Brutha

I would recommend the book night watch and a planisphere. 

Joejaguar 

[joe aguiar]

2 hours ago, Brutha said:

Thanks, funnily enough I did try the fingers method and it sort of worked, no doubt I could improve the accuracy by calibrating my fingers!

I think I'll try the DIY inclinometer though, there is something satifying about building your own gadgets!

I mean theres a formula for the width of one finger with your hand stretched out is a certain degree. Your fist is another and your thumb to your pinky spread out is another degree . Did u learn this formula?

Joejaguar 

Edited December 23, 2019 by joe aguiar

[Brutha]

3 hours ago, joe aguiar said:

I mean theres a formula for the width of one finger with your hand stretched out is a certain degree. Your fist is another and your thumb to your pinky spread out is another degree . Did u learn this formula?

Joejaguar 

Yes, that's the one! For me it was a bit out (I tried it against the moon, where I knew the elevation from Stellarium). I think thumb to pinky was supposed to be 25 degrees if I remember right. No doubt it would be very easy to adjust to my own hand / arm / finger peculiarities!

[joe aguiar]

yes that's correct 25 degree

so for someone trying to find polaris for example don't really know where it is, but you know the dig dipper. use the big dipper bowl stars with that degree its 28 to Polaris so 3 degrees more then your finger/thumb.

you can use these basic formula for any of the stars and don't have to worry about power wifi internet etc

joejaguar

Edited December 23, 2019 by joe aguiar

[Aramcheck]

You could also make yourself an astrolabe... https://in-the-sky.org/astrolabe/index.php

 

[Brutha]

On 24/12/2019 at 09:36, Aramcheck said:

You could also make yourself an astrolabe... https://in-the-sky.org/astrolabe/index.php

Ah, now there's a thought, thanks for that link! I hadn't realised how the astrolabe works, since you hang it from your finger or a hook etc, it doesn't need a horizon to work with, which is handy.

I have actually got a way towards building my 3d printed device already though, I ordered a gyro/accelerometer, and from some initial testing with Arduino I think it will actually be quite accurate - but I will keep the astrolabe as a possible future build!