9 replies to this topic

[revans]

We have had nothing but clouds, fog and rain for weeks on end.  Finally, we get a clear night with no wind and great transparency in my Bortle 6 sky... but naturally the full moon is already rising above the horizon.

 

I wasn't sure what to do for imaging.  I've been having trouble getting Astrophotography Tools to successfully GOTO a target by platesolving for a long time and finally figured out that the program had become corrupted.  I downloaded a new version, updated my platesolving database, and decided that my mission tonight was going to be just to get this function working again.

 

So, I picked a very easy target that should be obvious and easy to find, and not as influenced by the presence of the full moon as other targets.  My choice?  The bright globular cluster M3.  I figured I'd just image it from the end of twilight to around the time it crossed the meridian (about 90 minutes which should be more than enough time with my Tak FSQ-106N and 533MC camera).

 

So, I polar aligned, parked and unparked the scope, checked the coordinates in EQMOD, slewed to someplace around Alphecca and did a blind platesolve which was successful.  I synced, entered M3 as my target and hit GOTO.  Voila !  Right in the center of the FOV.  So, I refined the focus and started the imaging run.  I'll check it periodically, but at least I've got GOTO using platesolving working again in APT.  That alone is the definition of a successful night, no matter what else happens

 

Rick

[DanMiller]

Lol, I tried imaging on a clear night with 87 percent moon.  I threw everything away.  I was even going for a galaxy(M106). Had 2 steps error out in wbpp.  When I finally looked at the master light, stars were streatked.  Blinked through the sub images, no problem with stars in any individual image.  Detail of the galaxy was terrible.  So, I practiced my favorite saying.  If in doubt, throw it out.

 

Dan

Edited by DanMiller, 22 May 2024 - 10:18 PM.

[bignerdguy]

I live in a Bortle 9 city sky but even with a full moon i can still do some DSO imaging.  trick is to not pick anything REALLY faint as there is no way i am going to get to image it at all.  However globular clusters and some brighter galaxies still work well enough.  I add a light pollution filter and an IR cut filter to my camera and things tend to work out well enough.  Glad you got the plate solve GoTo issue fixed.  i only recently started to mess with doing pure plate solve GoTo with no alignment first and have had some success.  Before that i would setup the scope on the HC and once fully aligned would go inside to my PC and do the Goto from the HC and then plate solve to fine tune the alignment.  Recently i tried the full plate solve only alignment and surprisingly it worked right the first time.  Haven't been able to take my main scope out for a run for a while now as where i have it setup usually is falling apart and it is too heavy for me to move it elsewhere.  One of these days i will get the patio fixed and then... Watch out skies, here i come!  

[Spaceman 56]

I figured I'd just image it from the end of twilight to around the time it crossed the meridian

 

about 90 minutes which should be more than enough time with my Tak FSQ-106N and 533MC camera.

 

Rick

the Tak FSQ is F5 as I am sure you know. 90 minutes is often enough if your bortle zone is low.  

 

however I find that when the moons up it seems to wash out the details of dim targets. I have shot clusters  on moonlight nights

but there is not much quality in the results, so I dont generally bother anymore.

 

good your plate solving is working again. 

[flightlogic]

We have had nothing but clouds, fog and rain for weeks on end.  Finally, we get a clear night with no wind and great transparency in my Bortle 6 sky... but naturally the full moon is already rising above the horizon.

 

I wasn't sure what to do for imaging.  I've been having trouble getting Astrophotography Tools to successfully GOTO a target by platesolving for a long time and finally figured out that the program had become corrupted.  I downloaded a new version, updated my platesolving database, and decided that my mission tonight was going to be just to get this function working again.

 

So, I picked a very easy target that should be obvious and easy to find, and not as influenced by the presence of the full moon as other targets.  My choice?  The bright globular cluster M3.  I figured I'd just image it from the end of twilight to around the time it crossed the meridian (about 90 minutes which should be more than enough time with my Tak FSQ-106N and 533MC camera).

 

So, I polar aligned, parked and unparked the scope, checked the coordinates in EQMOD, slewed to someplace around Alphecca and did a blind platesolve which was successful.  I synced, entered M3 as my target and hit GOTO.  Voila !  Right in the center of the FOV.  So, I refined the focus and started the imaging run.  I'll check it periodically, but at least I've got GOTO using platesolving working again in APT.  That alone is the definition of a successful night, no matter what else happens

 

Rick

Yes, what we deem a success varies from time to time.  But, you made the MOST of what you had.  Good job.

[PIEJr]

I usually do narrowband imaging on Obnoxious Moon Nights.

 

Lol, I tried imaging on a clear night with 87 percent moon.  I threw everything away.  I was even going for a galaxy(M106). Had 2 steps error out in wbpp.  When I finally looked at the master light, stars were streatked.  Blinked through the sub images, no problem with stars in any individual image.  Detail of the galaxy was terrible.  So, I practiced my favorite saying.  If in doubt, throw it out.

 

Dan

That's one of the things I like the most about digital. The delete key forgives all sins. LOL!

I never mess with my bad files. Or try when a frame comes up with "Musk Tracks" in it. Delete!

[revans]

Well, just got home from work and processed my subs of M3.  I ended up only getting 50 minutes worth that I liked and tossed the rest.  I should crop the result as the top edge has stacking issues, but it is OK for now. The photo is an Astrobin link to my page.
 
Rick
 

[PIEJr]

Well, just got home from work and processed my subs of M3.  I ended up only getting 50 minutes worth that I liked and tossed the rest.  I should crop the result as the top edge has stacking issues, but it is OK for now. The photo is an Astrobin link to my page.
 
Rick
 

The artifacts look slight. But I would do some cropping if it were mine. Mostly to just center the subject.

Beautiful image!

Edited by PIEJr, 23 May 2024 - 05:15 PM.

[Rockarruda]

We have had nothing but clouds, fog and rain for weeks on end.  Finally, we get a clear night with no wind and great transparency in my Bortle 6 sky... but naturally the full moon is already rising above the horizon.

 

I wasn't sure what to do for imaging.  I've been having trouble getting Astrophotography Tools to successfully GOTO a target by platesolving for a long time and finally figured out that the program had become corrupted.  I downloaded a new version, updated my platesolving database, and decided that my mission tonight was going to be just to get this function working again.

 

So, I picked a very easy target that should be obvious and easy to find, and not as influenced by the presence of the full moon as other targets.  My choice?  The bright globular cluster M3.  I figured I'd just image it from the end of twilight to around the time it crossed the meridian (about 90 minutes which should be more than enough time with my Tak FSQ-106N and 533MC camera).

 

So, I polar aligned, parked and unparked the scope, checked the coordinates in EQMOD, slewed to someplace around Alphecca and did a blind platesolve which was successful.  I synced, entered M3 as my target and hit GOTO.  Voila !  Right in the center of the FOV.  So, I refined the focus and started the imaging run.  I'll check it periodically, but at least I've got GOTO using platesolving working again in APT.  That alone is the definition of a successful night, no matter what else happens

 

Rick

Where the heck in New England is there clear skies?!?!?  I aam near the water in RI, been waiting almost a month now lol.

[Robert7980]

Beggers can’t be choosers lol, I’d take a 100% moon over the torrential downpours we’ve been getting for the past 2 months straight