806 replies to this topic

[WheezyGod]

I tried the app again a couple nights ago after having some success before. I used all of the exact same settings, tried to position the iPhone in the exact same spot, but the trailing issue I had before came up again. As a reminder I’m using the app untracked.

I saw there’s a new update which I’ll certainly give a to the next clear night! Potentially not until 1-2 weeks or so.

[astrshdr]

Version 1.0.6 is now out.

 

The alignment process has been completely rebuilt based on various bits of feedback—eps thanks to FredOz and WheezyGod.

 

It is now much much more accurate which removes the haziness sometimes seen around stars after stacking. Also the "Alignment function" "Strong" option can now compensate for very low light levels with poorly visualised stars.

 

Another point to mention is that I have reversed the order of operation so the first frame is now the reference frame. Meaning the final image will no longer drift out of the centre of view. ...Just though I would note this also for when framing a shot the preview is now more reflective of the final image.

 

To check your version you can also now scroll to the end of the settings menu:

 

 

 

The next release will be a few small bug fixes and adding a "Finalise image" option in addition to "Cancel" so you can stop and keep an image when it drifts out of view if untracked for example.

The next big thing to be worked on will be an new autofocus system. I think this will work by prompting the user to aim at a bright star hit "Next" then run the new process so the focus is set for the session—but if anyone has any ideas here feel free to share...

Edited by astrshdr, 30 April 2023 - 11:04 AM.

[astrshdr]

I tried the app again a couple nights ago after having some success before. I used all of the exact same settings, tried to position the iPhone in the exact same spot, but the trailing issue I had before came up again. As a reminder I’m using the app untracked.

I saw there’s a new update which I’ll certainly give a to the next clear night! Potentially not until 1-2 weeks or so.

Thanks for testing again—I hope the latest version should fix this for you.

 

(After setting focus.) I would start with a single exposure, exposure time 0.3s (if there's no trialing) ISO 1600, maybe white balance around 4000K.
If this single sub looks ok maybe test with 25 exposures to check the alignment. The default setting will be "medium", however if the images aren't aligned try "strong". If all is well try cranking up the number of exposures.

 

...If all is not well let me know and I'll take another look.

[FredOz]

Version 1.0.6 is now out.

 

To check your version you can also now scroll to the end of the settings menu:

I do not see AstroShader in Settings menu.

 

In earlier msg. you wrote: 

Go to "Settings" > "General" > "iPhone Storage" > "AstroShader". It will show the version number below the name, e.g. "1.0.5"

 

That didn't work either (on my iPhone 11).  In App store, I saw "Open" but not "Get" so I deleted the app and then I saw "Get' in App store and d/l'ed again.

--- Fred

[astrshdr]

 

Version 1.0.6 is now out.

 

To check your version you can also now scroll to the end of the settings menu:

I do not see AstroShader in Settings menu.

 

In earlier msg. you wrote: 

Go to "Settings" > "General" > "iPhone Storage" > "AstroShader". It will show the version number below the name, e.g. "1.0.5"

 

That didn't work either (on my iPhone 11).  In App store, I saw "Open" but not "Get" so I deleted the app and then I saw "Get' in App store and d/l'ed again.

--- Fred

 

In AstroShader if you go to settings (cog wheel bottom right) and scroll to the bottom - do you see "version 1.0.6"?

[WheezyGod]

Thanks for testing again—I hope the latest version should fix this for you.

(After setting focus.) I would start with a single exposure, exposure time 0.3s (if there's no trialing) ISO 1600, maybe white balance around 4000K.
If this single sub looks ok maybe test with 25 exposures to check the alignment. The default setting will be "medium", however if the images aren't aligned try "strong". If all is well try cranking up the number of exposures.

...If all is not well let me know and I'll take another look.

I really appreciate this! Very excited to try it out but the weather here in the northeast and the moon makes it challenging. Might be clear in a week, fingers crossed.

The autofocus feature in the next release would also be amazing. I think I’m pretty close to the right focus but the difference between a 43 and a 46 might make a difference.

[GeezerGazer]

I was in Arizona last week and was able to try AS with my refractor mounted to my non-tracking alt/az mount.  My results mimicked WheezyGod and FredOz, with separate star images in a "V" formation for each sub.  This was before the newest update, so will try again when weather clears.  

 

Taking photos from a non-tracking telescope becomes exponentially more difficult with higher magnification.  For my above effort, I was using a slow 5" refractor (f:7.8) with my widest 17.3mm eyepiece, at 56x.  I had the ISO maxed at 7616, but with exposure set to 1/3s, I could barely see just two stars in the FoV.  I will use my faster f:4 Newtonian scope next time with my longest FL eyepiece for lowest magnification... and brightest image.  

[WheezyGod]

I was in Arizona last week and was able to try AS with my refractor mounted to my non-tracking alt/az mount. My results mimicked WheezyGod and FredOz, with separate star images in a "V" formation for each sub. This was before the newest update, so will try again when weather clears.

Taking photos from a non-tracking telescope becomes exponentially more difficult with higher magnification. For my above effort, I was using a slow 5" refractor (f:7.8) with my widest 17.3mm eyepiece, at 56x. I had the ISO maxed at 7616, but with exposure set to 1/3s, I could barely see just two stars in the FoV. I will use my faster f:4 Newtonian scope next time with my longest FL eyepiece for lowest magnification... and brightest image.

I’m glad it’s not just me and Fred, but it’s unfortunate this happened during what sounds like a dark sky trip of yours.

If this next update fixes it we’ll be good to go. I have been able to take longer total exposure second images than the methodology one of the previous posters suggested, but I wonder what the exposure seconds limit is untracked around 50x.

[GeezerGazer]

If this next update fixes it we’ll be good to go. I have been able to take longer total exposure second images than the methodology one of the previous posters suggested, but I wonder what the exposure seconds limit is untracked around 50x.

Non-tracked imaging for AP with a phone is working with enormous limitations that are not imposed for those with a tracking mount.  Apple already imposes a 1s limit on exposures.  But non-tracked images require an additional exposure reduction, to sub-second levels, which further reduces light gathering.  And to avoid high levels of noise associated with the shorter exposures, lower ISO settings are also necessary, which further dims the image.  These constraints involve simple physics.  Finding a way to improve results with these constraints involves imagination and the magic of computational photography, which AS is attempting.  Making the decision to keep trying alternatives after failed attempts is what Astrshdr is offering.  I'll stay with this for the long haul, and I hope others do to.  

 

I normally use an alt/az tracking mount and NV (night vision) for its obvious benefits.  But not everyone has those two great tools which significantly improve phonetography results.  The other advantage I may have over some, is access to a green zone (Bortle 4-5) only 45 minutes from my red zone home.  For now, I will continue to use AS from a non-tracking mount to help test as AS is modified to benefit this niche section of astronomy.  But I'll also use it with my tracking mount and with NV because the addition of stacking sub images can be VERY helpful over simple averaging as with the NightCap camera app.  

 

The one advantage that NightCap offers is the ability to access a much higher ISO (ISO Boost) for a 3-4x increase in maximum ISO, all the way to 32,000 on my iPhone 12 instead of 7616 as is restricted by Apple.  It is probably a faux ISO increase, but it does work quite well and I use it most of the time, especially when focusing on stars (sans NV).  If AS used something similar to brighten the image, at least for achieving focus, I think chances of getting a good image would be increased.  

 

Below is a link to a photo of the Double Cluster I took with NightCap last year, using a 1s exposure at 8000 ISO averaged for 6 seconds on my tracking mount, through my 8" Newt with a Delos 17.3 eyepiece.  I haven't taken this photo with AS yet, but I think it will be possible sometime soon, maybe already with the most recent AS modifications, but only if I use the tracking mount.  For non-tracking, I would need to reduce the exposure time from 1s to ~.3s, which means I'd need to significantly increase ISO, which is not currently possible in AS.  But if it was, then the stacking feature in AS could take the place of the averaging mechanism in NightCap.  So if the new stacking re-build is sufficient, this kind of photo is theoretically possible.  I hope that makes sense.  Non-tracked imaging requires gathering more light, faster than existing methods permit.  How can we do that?  Sorry for the ramble, but I'm just thinking out loud here.  

Ray

https://www.cloudyni...double-cluster/

[FredOz]

Below is a link to a photo of the Double Cluster I took with NightCap last year, using a 1s exposure at 8000 ISO averaged for 6 seconds on my tracking mount, through my 8" Newt with a Delos 17.3 eyepiece.  I haven't taken this photo with AS yet, but I think it will be possible sometime soon, maybe already with the most recent AS modifications, but only if I use the tracking mount.  For non-tracking, I would need to reduce the exposure time from 1s to ~.3s, which means I'd need to significantly increase ISO, which is not currently possible in AS.  But if it was, then the stacking feature in AS could take the place of the averaging mechanism in NightCap.  So if the new stacking re-build is sufficient, this kind of photo is theoretically possible.  I hope that makes sense.  Non-tracked imaging requires gathering more light, faster than existing methods permit.  How can we do that?  Sorry for the ramble, but I'm just thinking out loud here.  

Ray

https://www.cloudyni...double-cluster/

Nice discussion, Ray.  For comparison, below is my NightCap shot of the Double Cluster, un-tracked at ISO3200 1-3s, averaged over 1s with my Skywatcher 150 with 32mm (37.5x) eyepiece and iPhone 6s.  This yields an afocal FL of 156mm.  According to my notes, I stacked only 3 of the 1s frames in Deep Sky Stacker.

 

Unfortunately, the Dbl. Cl. is not well-placed now.  Even at 4am it is only 14 deg above NE horizon from Prescott (similar from your location).  To get it in the evening sky at a reasonable hour (10pm), we need to wait until Sept.

 

But there are reasonable targets in Scorpius (Ptolemy's Cluster, M7 or M6) and in Sagittarius (M24 Star Cloud, etc) and maybe even the M22 globular that are available sooner or earlier in the night now.

 

I'm hoping to shoot Omega Centauri, NGC 5139 in mid-May when I visit the Chiricahua Nat'l Monument.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by FredOz, 01 May 2023 - 04:38 PM.

[GeezerGazer]

...below is my NightCap shot of the Double Cluster, un-tracked at ISO3200 1-3s, averaged over 1s with my Skywatcher 150 with 32mm (37.5x) eyepiece and iPhone 6s.  This yields an afocal FL of 156mm.  According to my notes, I stacked only 3 of the 1s frames in Deep Sky Stacker.

Did you have the brightness slider turned up or ISO Boost turned on in NC settings?  Do I understand correctly... this image was from three 1s exposures taken in NC, that were then stacked in DSS? 

Ray

[astrshdr]

WheezyGod, Fred and Ray,

 

Thanks very much for the above discussion this is pointing us towards a way forward here. Ray—apologies for the issues you experienced with the app on your trip to Arizona.

 

I think the latest changes will mean imaging brighter targets with a tracking mount will work better.

 

The remaining challenges are dimmer targets and untracked imaging, or both. Autofocus will help but I don't think will solve the problems. Thinking about it there is a circular problem here; if you can't view the target in the preview then you can't change the settings to improve the image that you can't see to begin with.

An additional gain beyond the upper limit of the ISO range could work well (the ISO in iPhone is mostly digital anyway I believe). There may also be some creative solutions for example showing a "live stack" in the preview including variants of this which could use some noise reduction and feature enhancement. I think some process like this is required to cheat the rules of physics that apply limit a single exposure and therefore a simple 1:1 preview of the camera frames.

[FredOz]

Did you have the brightness slider turned up or ISO Boost turned on in NC settings?  Do I understand correctly... this image was from three 1s exposures taken in NC, that were then stacked in DSS? 

Ray

The photo was taken 2 years ago (2-14-21) so I don't remember all the details nor have the original exposures and thus not the exif data.  But my notes indicate 1 sec averaging of 0.3 sec exposures (longest the 6s will make) and that I stacked only 3 photos in DSS.

[GeezerGazer]

No need for an apology.  Every time I use AS, I seem to learn something more about it, even though it keeps changing with updates (which I deeply appreciate)!    When I later looked at the photo with consecutive star images in a line from the sub-second exposure stack of 30 images, I figured out that even though I was at a darker site, I should have put the Alignment Function on "Strong" because the visible stars were so faint, that AS couldn't "see" them during the alignment/stacking.  The required sub-second exposure needed for non-tracking is the devil in disguise.  

 

I understand your comments and agree that it is a circular problem for non-tracked images.  Getting to a bright enough phone screen image to see what we are doing for a sub-second, non-tracked image is a tough nut to crack.  

 

I am really happy with the 1x photos (no telescope/eyepiece) from AS, and with the tracked NV photos I've taken.  I am anxious to try AS 1.0.6 on the tracking mount without NV, and I want to try the untracked imaging again using the "strong" alignment function.  

Ray

Edited by GeezerGazer, 01 May 2023 - 06:11 PM.

[GeezerGazer]

...my notes indicate 1 sec averaging of 0.3 sec exposures (longest the 6s will make) and that I stacked only 3 photos in DSS.

OK, that makes more sense to me.  I misunderstood your original post.  So in DSS, you actually stacked three 1s subs, with each sub comprised of three 1/3s exposures.  Hopefully, next time you are out, you'll be able to use similar settings to achieve similar results with AS on a brighter subject.  1/3s exposure, with a stack of 9 subs at highest ISO "should" look pretty close.  

 

The iPhone 6s offered a maximum native ISO of 2500, so ISO boost was likely turned on in NightCap.  

Ray

[WheezyGod]

WheezyGod, Fred and Ray,

Thanks very much for the above discussion this is pointing us towards a way forward here. Ray—apologies for the issues you experienced with the app on your trip to Arizona.

I think the latest changes will mean imaging brighter targets with a tracking mount will work better.

The remaining challenges are dimmer targets and untracked imaging, or both. Autofocus will help but I don't think will solve the problems. Thinking about it there is a circular problem here; if you can't view the target in the preview then you can't change the settings to improve the image that you can't see to begin with.
An additional gain beyond the upper limit of the ISO range could work well (the ISO in iPhone is mostly digital anyway I believe). There may also be some creative solutions for example showing a "live stack" in the preview including variants of this which could use some noise reduction and feature enhancement. I think some process like this is required to cheat the rules of physics that apply limit a single exposure and therefore a simple 1:1 preview of the camera frames.

The objects I’ve taken photos of are bright enough to be seen live. It’s the entire image along with stars that are trailing. If the stars looked okay but the key object wasn’t then you’re definitely right.

I wonder if having any bright stars around the edge of the FOV throw things off at all or not having enough bright stars for the program to reference. Or perhaps it’s just because the night vision eyepieces we’re using which only have a 40 degree view don’t take up enough of the FOV of the phone camera. In any case, Geezer, Fred, and I are eager to try again with 1.06.

If I’m still having issues trying the light/medium/strong alignment features I’ll also give it a go untracked with a larger, non-night vision eyepiece to see if there’s any difference.

I’m definitely committed to using this app long term. I had that one night of success a few weeks ago so I know it’s possible for it to work and work to my standards for an untracked image. My main goal if I hadn’t stated it before is to take photos that match with what I see live.

I’m also curious about your long term plans with the app. Once you feel like you’ve finished with making updates to the AP app do you plan to add additional features that would cost extra, make it a subscription based app, a one-time purchase, or completely free?

[astrshdr]

I like the idea of being able to use the app for untracked imaging of dims targets. And I think aiming for this will really push things forward from a technical perspective.

 

...Along these lines I've been doing some reading and testing. I believe an interesting way forward could be to perform live pixel binning to display the video preview and for the captured the image. The extended ISO range seems like a good idea and I wonder about pushing this further by using a non-linear gain parameter like gamma adjustment that could be selected by the user—again live processing this in the preview. I think the combo of the pixel binning and extra gain could increase the perceived sensitivity by around 4-8 times.

 

The downsides to this approach are that it will require removing the extended exposure range, e.g, where you can set the exposure beyond 1 (or 0.3s), and it will also require building an unusual imaging pipeline. But the potential for further improvements is very interesting, for example live calibration or even live stacking for EAA, or any other live processing.

 

I've done some benchmarking on an iPhoneX (as a mid-range model) and the results were encouraging enough to warrant a full build out of the imaging process.

[astrshdr]

The objects I’ve taken photos of are bright enough to be seen live. It’s the entire image along with stars that are trailing. If the stars looked okay but the key object wasn’t then you’re definitely right.

I wonder if having any bright stars around the edge of the FOV throw things off at all or not having enough bright stars for the program to reference. Or perhaps it’s just because the night vision eyepieces we’re using which only have a 40 degree view don’t take up enough of the FOV of the phone camera. In any case, Geezer, Fred, and I are eager to try again with 1.06.

If I’m still having issues trying the light/medium/strong alignment features I’ll also give it a go untracked with a larger, non-night vision eyepiece to see if there’s any difference.

I’m definitely committed to using this app long term. I had that one night of success a few weeks ago so I know it’s possible for it to work and work to my standards for an untracked image. My main goal if I hadn’t stated it before is to take photos that match with what I see live.

I’m also curious about your long term plans with the app. Once you feel like you’ve finished with making updates to the AP app do you plan to add additional features that would cost extra, make it a subscription based app, a one-time purchase, or completely free?

 

Ah ok—if the stars seemed bright enough but the alignment was off I believe this latest release will help. If not the changes allow some tweaking to the parameters until it works. It could well be the number of stars in the FOV which I suppose goes to the ability to detect them.

 

You make a good point regarding the eye piece I usually zoom in to remove any of the black circle in the image. I could potentially try and account for this although would need to make some assumptions about the eye piece within the FOV... I'll have a think as it might help.

 

I agree with your goal and would definitely like to get to that point!

 

Long-term I will not be making any features paid for and will not be charging for the app. (I heavily leverage various software and hardware tools Apple have made for iOS and it would feel a bit weird charging for the app). Although maybe when beta-testing seems done will look at getting the word out a bit more to get more users.

I actually started this as a way to learn about the upper limits of high resolution image processing on mobile for a completely different project.

Edited by astrshdr, 02 May 2023 - 05:29 PM.

[WheezyGod]

Ah ok—if the stars seemed bright enough but the alignment was off I believe this latest release will help. If not the changes allow some tweaking to the parameters until it works. It could well be the number of stars in the FOV which I suppose goes to the ability to detect them.

You make a good point regarding the eye piece I usually zoom in to remove any of the black circle in the image. I could potentially try and account for this although would need to make some assumptions about the eye piece within the FOV... I'll have a think as it might help.

I agree with your goal and would definitely like to get to that point!

Long-term I will not be making any features paid for and will not be charging for the app. (I heavily leverage various software and hardware tools Apple have made for iOS and it would feel a bit weird charging for the app). Although maybe when beta-testing seems done will look at getting the word out a bit more to get more users.
I actually started this as a way to learn about the upper limits of high resolution image processing on mobile for a completely different project.

Yea if I zoom in at all it degrades the image and I’d have to zoom in a lot with the eyepiece I’m using. Although I don’t think what I’m using currently is at an extreme. I bet if I used a 10mm EP or lower with a 68degree FOV then it would be more of a problem. In other words, this issue would limit usage of the app to larger eyepieces. However, version 1.06 may have fixed all this so it could be good to go.

On your prior post, I think that could be a good idea. In other words you’re saying that someone could get a live stacked view and then take a photo at a certain point in time in the process? I like this idea a lot if you don’t think the downsides would make it too confusing. It would allow someone to know if the settings they’re using are working well after a few seconds and also have control over when they feel like a photo is good enough.

[Domdron]

Hi all. I couldn't use/test the app recently because it's the rainy season here, cloudy skies for weeks on end. I also took a swim with my iPhone 12 mini, whose supposed water-proofness of 6m up to 30 minutes turned out to not work at all (it was maybe 1-2m for 10 minutes). So until I get a proper replacement, I only have an old iPhone 7 with limited storage. Not sure how AS will fare on that one, but if I do get some, clear skies, I'll try.
 

Long-term I will not be making any features paid for and will not be charging for the app. (I heavily leverage various software and hardware tools Apple have made for iOS and it would feel a bit weird charging for the app). 

Every app heavily leverages the device and its libraries, so I don't think this is a good reason for not charging for it. I'd like to see this project live long term, and from past experience, there are 2 kinds of pricing models that can ensure longevity: 1) Charge for it adequately, or 2) open-source it, so that if you stop maintaining it at some point, someone else can take over. So I'd encourage you to consider those 2 options.

[Foobaria]

Just bought this app,. will try soon on first clear night. 

[FredOz]

Another unsuccessful try on M5 -- stacking did not work, although alignment was set to "Strong".  I also tried single exposures in NightCap, which yielded smudges (no stacking).  Taken with my Skywatcher 150, 25mm FL eyepiece (48X, 192mm afocal FL) on an iPhone X.  No tracking.  AstroShader v1.0.6

 

I should have had a recorder (or notes on the phone) to document settings.  I think this was taken at ISO 1390, 10 exposures, 0.666 s (slightly long for point stars).  Photo saved in PNG, cropped & converted to JPG but otherwise not edited.

 

I could see the star 5 Ser on the screen but I do not see it in the photo (even before cropping).  I may not have focused accurately.  (I didn't try focusing on Arcturus.)

 

Similar results with M13 and M3 (M3 much dimmer).

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by FredOz, 08 May 2023 - 12:18 AM.

[astrshdr]

Yea if I zoom in at all it degrades the image and I’d have to zoom in a lot with the eyepiece I’m using. Although I don’t think what I’m using currently is at an extreme. I bet if I used a 10mm EP or lower with a 68degree FOV then it would be more of a problem. In other words, this issue would limit usage of the app to larger eyepieces. However, version 1.06 may have fixed all this so it could be good to go.

On your prior post, I think that could be a good idea. In other words you’re saying that someone could get a live stacked view and then take a photo at a certain point in time in the process? I like this idea a lot if you don’t think the downsides would make it too confusing. It would allow someone to know if the settings they’re using are working well after a few seconds and also have control over when they feel like a photo is good enough.

Ah yes, sorry the image being degraded is the preview not the actual image due to my slightly lazy implementation. This will be fixed soon, more details in the next reply...

Yes exactly—so you could start building an image and stop when you were happy with it. I would probably add options for this and the standard approach.

 

Hi all. I couldn't use/test the app recently because it's the rainy season here, cloudy skies for weeks on end. I also took a swim with my iPhone 12 mini, whose supposed water-proofness of 6m up to 30 minutes turned out to not work at all (it was maybe 1-2m for 10 minutes). So until I get a proper replacement, I only have an old iPhone 7 with limited storage. Not sure how AS will fare on that one, but if I do get some, clear skies, I'll try.
 

Every app heavily leverages the device and its libraries, so I don't think this is a good reason for not charging for it. I'd like to see this project live long term, and from past experience, there are 2 kinds of pricing models that can ensure longevity: 1) Charge for it adequately, or 2) open-source it, so that if you stop maintaining it at some point, someone else can take over. So I'd encourage you to consider those 2 options.

Thanks Domdron—food for thought. I don't need to charge for it in the foreseeable future so will continue to be free. On the open source point this is definitely an option and if I got to the point where I couldn't maintain the app any more would definitely go down this route. 

[astrshdr]

Another unsuccessful try on M5 -- stacking did not work, although alignment was set to "Strong".  I also tried single exposures in NightCap, which yielded smudges (no stacking).  Taken with my Skywatcher 150, 25mm FL eyepiece (48X, 192mm afocal FL) on an iPhone X.  No tracking.  AstroShader v1.0.6

 

I should have had a recorder (or notes on the phone) to document settings.  I think this was taken at ISO 1390, 10 exposures, 0.666 s (slightly long for point stars).  Photo saved in PNG, cropped & converted to JPG but otherwise not edited.

 

I could see the star 5 Ser on the screen but I do not see it in the photo (even before cropping).  I may not have focused accurately.  (I didn't try focusing on Arcturus.)

 

Similar results with M13 and M3 (M3 much dimmer).

Thanks for sharing the latest results Fred. I'm 80% sure this is due to there not being enough stars in the FOV which in turn is due to camera sensitivity and settings.

 

After some reading, testing and thinking I'm going to redo the image pipeline to lay the foundation for some much bolder techniques for imaging. Specifically on the sensitivity point—live pixel binning and a non-linear alternative/addition to ISO these should allow better captures for untracked imaging and in general. These imaging pipeline changes will also allow building a new autofocus system that actually works for astrophotography and the live-stack-capture feature that displays the results on screen until.

I'm quite optimistic by the potential for this approach and excited to get it built and start testing.

[WheezyGod]

Thanks for sharing the latest results Fred. I'm 80% sure this is due to there not being enough stars in the FOV which in turn is due to camera sensitivity and settings.

After some reading, testing and thinking I'm going to redo the image pipeline to lay the foundation for some much bolder techniques for imaging. Specifically on the sensitivity point—live pixel binning and a non-linear alternative/addition to ISO these should allow better captures for untracked imaging and in general. These imaging pipeline changes will also allow building a new autofocus system that actually works for astrophotography and the live-stack-capture feature that displays the results on screen until.
I'm quite optimistic by the potential for this approach and excited to get it built and start testing.

This is quite exciting!

I was finally able to get out again last night. I tried taking a photo a few times of a fairly faint nebula whose stars were much dimmer with the filter I was using. Tried strong alignment but that didn’t work either. The nebula was visible barely visible visually.

I tried a different setup back to M51 which I’ve had positive results with in the past. It worked again this time with the strong alignment although the results looked a bit less sharp than usual. I was planning to try it again on medium alignment but had to pack things up at that point.

Will probably do more testing again tonight.