Need help in selecting targets

[LaurenceT]

I'm new to imaging, only really started this year. I am using an Asiair and have SkySafari and Stellarium installed on my laptop for reference purposes.

What I'm really after is a way to see all the available targets of a particular type in my area for that night on a single screen while indoors planning my session.

I am obviously able to use SkySafari for instance to select a target from a list and see its position and movement but that's only giving me one target at a time. 

Perhaps I'm asking for the impossible but I'd appreciate some comments.

Edited November 24, 2022 by LaurenceT

[AstroMuni]

46 minutes ago, LaurenceT said:

What I'm really after is a way to see all the available targets of a particular type in my area for that night on a single screen while indoors planning my session.

I use Kstars and it has the feature to show all the objects of interest for that night on a single screen. Here is a screenshot. I am assuming that similar feature should be available in Stellarium.

Even though the ASIAir runs the INDI server that Kstars can use, ZWO have made it a closed system so you cant access it from external devices 😞

Edited November 24, 2022 by AstroMuni

[Elp]

On your asiair in the preview mode, press on the target field to input your target and they'll be lists of targets to choose from categorised in one of the pull down menus from tonight's best, to solar system, DSO etc.

[jacko61]

You can change the time on Stellarium and also change how many objects are displayed to get a very good idea of what's in the sky in the evening. 

Graeme

[edarter]

I use stellarium to have a good browse around the night sky, you can set the time and date and then just use the mouse to see what's there. Once I have chosen I then import directly in to NINA, though I appreciate that bit would be different for you.

Ed

[PeterC65]

2 hours ago, jacko61 said:

You can change the time on Stellarium and also change how many objects are displayed to get a very good idea of what's in the sky in the evening. 

Graeme

I use Stellarium mainly on a laptop and as far as I can tell the only way to change the time and date is to fast forward to the time and date you need which is very tedious. Does anyone know a way to enter a time and data directly in Stellarium?

[DaveS]

Click on the clock icon on the LHS where it will open a new window with time and gate. You can alter both from there.

Edited November 24, 2022 by DaveS
Add Screenshot

[Zermelo]

In Sky Safari, use the Planner function to select objects of a particular type (and narrow it down with further criteria to suit your purposes).
When it displays the list of objects, hit the button "Make into Observing List".
Then, if you edit that list, you can select "Highlight Objects in Skychart", and when you display the main chart it will pick out all the members in that list.
For planning purposes, when you display the list you might choose to sort in order of RA, azimuth, rise time, set time or transit time, according to your preferences.

[Elp]

I like to also use the AAS WWT, as it displays it visually what you're seeing as if each target has been imaged and put into their system, the best bit is whatever you're looking at there's a button at the bottom which shows nearby targets and moves to them. And it works well on a mobile phone via a web browser.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Elp

[PeterC65]

1 hour ago, DaveS said:

Click on the clock icon on the LHS where it will open a new window with time and gate. You can alter both from there.

That only works for the Stellarium App I think, not for the PC version which is what I mostly use.

[DaveS]

That is the PC version, it's a screenshot from the PC I'm typing on now.

[LaurenceT]

I've found a solution which works for me with my beginners knowledge of astronomy. I open Stellarium and on the left I select "Sky and Viewing options window".

I then select "DSO" and then "select labels and markers".

I then select those options which I find useful ;

Use outlines for big deep sky objects

use proportional hints

use additional names of DSO.

Under the SSO tab I select "show solar system objects"

I can now see at a glance what my targets may be for a given time or date.

I'll now see if I can find a similar work around in SkySafari. Thanks for all the replies, at the very least I've been able to understand the various options in Stellarium and now maybe SkySafari.

[jacko61]

49 minutes ago, PeterC65 said:

That only works for the Stellarium App I think, not for the PC version which is what I mostly use.

On a PC/Laptop, you have to move your pointer past the left hand edge to get the toolbar up.  Same goes for the bottom edge toolbar.

If the date / time option isn't working for you then I'd suggest reinstalling Stellarium. I've had it lose contact with EQMOD once - a reinstall fixed that. 

Graeme

Edited November 24, 2022 by jacko61

[ONIKKINEN]

NINA has a sky atlas where you can set limits on which type, size, brightness of object it shows you. I have found many interesting targets from there.

You can set elevation limits too, just input a time and desired elevation. Narrow down the search by inputting minimum and maximum size of object and youll get a list of all the targets that are at your desired elevation at the time you set.

[PeterC65]

1 hour ago, jacko61 said:

On a PC/Laptop, you have to move your pointer past the left hand edge to get the toolbar up.  Same goes for the bottom edge toolbar.

If the date / time option isn't working for you then I'd suggest reinstalling Stellarium. I've had it lose contact with EQMOD once - a reinstall fixed that. 

Graeme

Got it. Thanks. I hadn't spotted the Astronomical Calculations window before either!!

[tomato]

Have a look at Telescopius, configurable to your location, objects classified by type and can be ordered or filtered by a host of different parameters. Your imaging parameters can be entered so you get a FOV view of the object.

It’s free software.

[vernmid]

+1 for Telescopius☺️

 

[Spile]

I create target lists for DSOs and binaries in SkySafari that display in the main screen.

[LaurenceT]

26 minutes ago, Spile said:

I create target lists for DSOs and binaries in SkySafari that display in the main screen.

I'll have a go at that.

[Chefgage]

On 24/11/2022 at 09:37, LaurenceT said:

I'm new to imaging, only really started this year. I am using an Asiair and have SkySafari and Stellarium installed on my laptop for reference purposes.

What I'm really after is a way to see all the available targets of a particular type in my area for that night on a single screen while indoors planning my session.

I am obviously able to use SkySafari for instance to select a target from a list and see its position and movement but that's only giving me one target at a time. 

Perhaps I'm asking for the impossible but I'd appreciate some comments.

If I understand you correctly, in sky safari click on search then tonight's best. That gives you a long list of targets and based on your location you can sort by rise time etc..