Of all the things that can go wrong

[siovene]

Note: you can read this on my blog too (easier to read), linked in the signature.

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I don’t usually like making bold statements. As a matter of fact, neither should you, for you might change your mind one day. But here is one: astrophotography will stretch the limits of your patience.

Personally, I’ve always thought patience was one of my strongest assets. That still holds true, but I had underestimated the sheer quantity of such a feature I needed, in order to partake the joys of astrophotography.

My adventure with this subtle union of science, technique and art has not lasted two months yet; you might say it hasn’t lasted 3 days yet, though, because that is the number of times enough light from outer space has managed to pierce the thick coat of clouds that seems to perpetually cover this country, enveloping its lands in arctic temperatures.

Countless things have gone wrong in these hours. Some of them are to be attributed to my lack of experience, and have been superseded by my learning how to cope with them, how to anticipate them, and how to let flawless technique prevail the unexpected. Some others, sadly, are due to factors well outside my sphere of influence.

Perhaps the tone of frustration you read between the lines is due to the sad state of the software industry. Let me elaborate. I have been creating software for the most part of my life: a good two thirds of it. That has effected the development of my brain in a way that I’m not even going to attempt and explain, because, as much as I don’t like to say so, you wouldn’t understand. I see the world with different eyes than most people: I see physical things, mechanical things, as obstacles. I see the very substance of concrete things as a design flaw, something that makes everything awkward and needlessly complicated. I see that every day, every moment, in everything I do with my hands. And I’m not that bad with them.

Software, on the other end, exists purely in my mind. It’s a magical world where everything can happen. Where everything eventually will. Where I’m not bound by the silly laws of physics. And the undeniable fact that the whole software industry is nothing but an utter failure, saddens me deeply.

I hear your gulp. I see your outraged face. The entire software industry? An utter failure? They sound like words a bitter old man would speak. I get it, we have wonderful things. Software has made our world so much different. So much better.

But in a day and age such as ours, why would programs ever need to crash? Why would they ever need to be unresponsive? Why would they ever behave unreliably? Why would everything revolving around the world of software and technology seem like a massive plot to frustrate the hell out of innocent people who just want to get things done?

The software I write is buggy too, let’s be clear about it. My coworkers know. And I know very well that writing software is hard. How would you explain, to a person who is completely ignorant of the matters of software, that a typical software product runs a cycle of tens of thousands of bugs before it’s considered releasable?

Managers, as of late, speak of bugs calling them errors. Is a bug really an error, a mistake attributable to incompetence? Will we ever live in a bug-free world? I guess this is utopia.

So, back on the topic of astrophotography, I had actually hardware problems last night. Namely, my five-meter USB extension cords seem to fail when it’s cold. Last night, at -13°C, both my cameras failed to talk to the computer. Of all the things that can go wrong. I resorted to wiring a second computer closer to the telescopes, to avoid using extension cords, just in time to be warmly greeted by the familiar thick coat of clouds.

How are you doing? – they said, we missed you.

I looked at them and could see that they were troll-faced.

When frustration builds up, little things can be enormously annoying. Like the login screen on this Ubuntu laptop I’m using right now: if you input the wrong password, it will be stuck on Checking password… for something like five minutes. Do you know how long five minutes are when you’re in a hurry because clouds are marching in, because you’re sick of putting shoes on, jacket on, coat on, hat on, gloves on, and then going back inside taking shoes off, jacket off, coat off, hat off, gloves off, and because you just want to get things done but what seems to be a perennial series of minor issues keeps getting in your way?

Luckily, it looks like this extension cords issue is now solved by putting a powered USB hub at the computer’s end. So I got up in the morning and the moon was shining through the morning light. I wanted to try the USB hub idea, so I said to myself: let’s take a picture of the moon..

In a way or in another, something came out. Perhaps not good, but a beginning. The seed of a hope. Something that says don’t give up, it might be hard and a million things can go wrong, but you just have to sort them all out.

[Demonperformer]

A good start.

The right hand side of the image seems to be 'posterized' (the shades of grey are in distinct bands, rather than smoothly merged), but the top left part of the image looks quite good. Without details of how the photo was taken or the final image processed, it is difficult to comment further.

At the risk of sounding patronizing (which is not my intention) the usual procedure for the moon is to take an avi using a webcam and process in registax.

[siovene]

Hi, DP. The photograph wasn't meant to be subjected to critique as the point of the post was to rant, but thanks!

Anyway, it's the stacking of about 2000 frames taken with a QHY5 camera at a 70/500 SW refractor.

It's my first image of the moon. I think it's posterizer because I had to increase the contrast, as the image was taken in a fully lit pre-dawn sky.

[adamsp123]

Nice rant! I also find it is the myriad of little things that really gets me going and astro photography is up there with the best.

[planetdnb]

software developer here too! likewise I feel your frustrations. I spent two hours plagued with issues finally got setup locked and ready to start some data capture and those troll faced clouds rolled in!

[Takahashi]

Quite a few familiar emotions there... ...but my biggest gripe these days is the weather. It seems that whenever I manage to find enough time to get the gear out, the weather turns. Either that, or it simply isn't worth all the hassle when you just know that in the time it takes to pack the car, get on-site, get setup... the weather will have changed three times already. Seriously, I can't convey the words to describe just how much I despise the changeability of the weather here in the UK.

...and then comes the conflict, borne from my terrestrial photo hobby; that very unpredictability is the main factor in us getting some of the best, most photogenic lighting imaginable.

Love/hate for sure, but at night specifically - hissing, seething hate.

[namreg]

Siovene, I understand your post completely.

I'm also new to this hobby, and I'm seriously wondering what possessed me to take up a hobby that is entirely dependent on there being no clouds in the sky - in England! I took my first serious image on 16 October. I've now taken 3 in total, in six weeks. All I can say is that when you do get the opportunity, it adds to the pleasure, having waited so long (if it wasn't so d*mn cold!)

As regards software, I firmly believe that we just aren't clever enough, and probably never will be. When I took my degree in computer science, I was staggered to learn that something like 90% of all software projects that are started are either never completed, or never reach the end user - a mind numbing statistic. Large software engineering projects are the most complex engineering projects ever undertaken by man, and we just can't hack it. I no longer work in IT, and I hope I never do again. I'd be a happy man if I never had to look at another computer!

[Earl]

USB just plain and simple Sucks!

The best way to extend USB is Via Ethernet adaptors (USB 1.1) or by using a Silex Gigabit network USB host (USB 2)

Then throw in USB to Serial converters and its a great mess.

ignoring weather and the actual imaging process.

Getting the rig to run stable is a task in its self.

I share your frustrations.

My observatory I hope will elliminate the setup and gear issues to a greater extent.

[siovene]

Good luck, Earl. I hope I had room to build one too. Perhaps one day...

[budski]

Hi Siovene, I too, spent a fair portion of my life in the IT circus both as a Beta tester and software writer. I was almost fired by a senior executive of the company for daring to suggest that a key program wasn't ready for the user community as it had failed on some (admittedly) extremely unlikely test scenario. The system was implemented and three weeks later crashed due to that remotely possible occurence. These days the software is so large and complex that no one individual (except maybe some legendary Super-Nerd) has a complete understanding of it. I now acept its glitches and failings along with temperamental 5 metre USB cables and seek ways to overcome these difficulties. On one or two occasions just recently I have managed to obtain some cracking pictures of Jupiter which would have been impossible to achieve without the buggy software/unreliable hardware. I remember when my Dad bought his first motor car in the early '60's - he was always having to fix something on it every Sunday morning. Maybe one day software too, will, come of age.

PS: Minus 13 degrees C? Wow, I thought I was tough! By-the-way, cover those exposed USB connection points in self-amalgamating rubberised tape then wrap some plumbers aluminum insulation tape over that.

[jgs001]

I feel for you, big time... I've had nights like that, when nothing would come right, and n the end opted for stopping before I tore something apart or all my hair out... And yet other nights, everything just 'works'. And at the end of the night, you end up with something and you think... Yeah... I did that! That's mine! and all the many hours of frustration and pain (for some a lot more than others... dropping counter weights on your foot has got to really smart) are suddenly all worth it.

As for the moon image, it's come out quite well... did you apply any wavelets ? It looks like not, and you'll be amazed exactly how much difference wavelets makes to the end result.

[siovene]

Uhh... what are wavelets?

[jgs001]

In registax, after stacking is complete, you get to the wavelet tab... there are six wavelets and they all affect the image a little differently... It's a form of sharpening. Try something like... 25 on 1 &6, 18 on 2 & 5 and 12 on 3 & 4 as a base starting point... you may need to reduce some and increase others. They are best used sparingly though as it's very very easy to overdo wavelets.