How to Frame this ?

[smr]

Hi,

I'd like to frame the Veil Nebula like this, this is with my 600D and Z73. 

I'm just wondering if there's an easier way to do this than I can think of because if I try and Platesolve to the Veil Nebula that will be in the centre of the frame and not how I'd like it, see below.

[vlaiv]

Use plate solve to give you exact coordinates and rotation and then match that with the one in above image.

You have coordinates of the center - tell your software to goto there and verify with plate solve (or tell software if it supports automatic centering with plate solve - to just make its way to those coordinates).

Make sure you rotate your camera to match rotation in above image - again if you have rotator .... if not, you'll have to do it manually.

[smr]

10 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Use plate solve to give you exact coordinates and rotation and then match that with the one in above image.

You have coordinates of the center - tell your software to goto there and verify with plate solve (or tell software if it supports automatic centering with plate solve - to just make its way to those coordinates).

Make sure you rotate your camera to match rotation in above image - again if you have rotator .... if not, you'll have to do it manually.

Thanks for the reply Vlaiv, I'm fairly new to plate solving. It didn't occur to me that I could manually enter the RA and DEC!

That's great. So to be sure I'm on the right track here - I would enter 20:47:36 in the RA box in Pointcraft, and 30:46:18 in the Dec value? Then Solve, Sync and Goto++ with those values? Then it's a case of rotating my Camera with my 360 degree Field Flattener ?

I might have to take a few shots to get it rotated correctly.

[smr]

For some reason, I don't know ifs supposed to be like this, but the default rotation of 0 degrees is like this.... 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by smr

[vlaiv]

4 minutes ago, smr said:

That's great. So to be sure I'm on the right track here - I would enter 20:47:36 in the RA box in Pointcraft, and 30:46:18 in the Dec value? Then Solve, Sync and Goto++ with those values? Then it's a case of rotating my Camera with my 360 degree Field Flattener ?

Not sure how your plate solving works, but here is general "workflow" to getting to exact location:

1. Just tell your mount to go to selected coordinates

2. Take image

3. Plate solve

4. Sync

5. If you are not at those exact coordinates - go to step 1 else done

And yes, it will take couple of adjustments of camera rotation to get to wanted angle - plate solve should give you that information too - and just adjust until you are close enough.

 

[vlaiv]

3 minutes ago, smr said:

For some reason, I don't know ifs supposed to be like this, but the default rotation of 0 degrees is like this.... 

Could be that 0.0 degrees in Stellarium is relative to your plate solved rotation.

This way you can orient FOV in Stellarium to your liking and it will tell you how much to rotate your camera in relative degrees - not absolute orientation?

Try rotating your camera about 120 degrees, doing another plate solve and then sync to see if FOV in stellarium changes orientation and if you are closer to what you want.

[smr]

13 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Could be that 0.0 degrees in Stellarium is relative to your plate solved rotation.

This way you can orient FOV in Stellarium to your liking and it will tell you how much to rotate your camera in relative degrees - not absolute orientation?

Try rotating your camera about 120 degrees, doing another plate solve and then sync to see if FOV in stellarium changes orientation and if you are closer to what you want.

Ah I think it's because it was on the azimuth instead of equatorial mount, it's fine now. It looks to me like I'll just have to rotate my Camera 90 degrees from horizontal.

[david_taurus83]

With your scope in the home position and the camera is upright, the width of the sensor will be parallel with the right ascension lines. So you should be very close to your framing angle already. The coords you want are also below, 2nd image.

 

[smr]

Thanks guys, really cool. Got the Veil framed just how I wanted. 

I got it wrong with the Camera orientation though, I thought for some reason I'd need to rotate my Camera 90 degrees so it was pointing vertically but it's fine completely horizontal. 

I guess if I want to add more data after tonight I'd better make sure the Camera stays in the exact rotation it is at now!

[david_taurus83]

Yes, camera upright or upside down will always be parallel with right ascension, turn it on its side and it will be aligned with declination.