3 replies to this topic

[ColdNights]

Sky last night in my backyard was clear and in the mid 40-deg F and dropping.  I guess my sky light pollution is getting worse.  I am Bortle 9 in my backyard.  Last night I took the Club’s Celestron 8” SCT (f/10) for a spin on my Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount.  Aligned the red dot and eyepiece view on a stationary object.  Then I did the polar alignment and a star alignment.  Focused on the star in the eyepiece.  Then changed out to the camera.  I am using a ZWO ASI294MC-Pro camera.  Started ASCOM, NINA, PHD2 and Stellarium.  Made all connections to those programs.  Check for correct SCT collimation and adjusted to have donut stars.  Re-focused to pinpoint stars in camera view. 

 

Tried to do a 3-star polar alignment and plate solve and not happening in NINA.  Thinking slewing caused mirror movement I checked camera view and image was fine.  Then tried to do a PHD2 Guiding Calibration and not happening.  Checked camera view and image was fine.  Then tried a setup sequence using NINA and slewing could not center selected object in NINA.  Checked camera view and image was fine. 

 

Okay, sky must be bad or too much focal length for my light polluted sky.  Check camera settings for gain and even changed to 2x2 Bining.  Still had issues for plate solving and PHD2 Guiding Calibration.  I have experienced similar problems on my LX200GPS (f/10) when in my backyard.

 

My 6” Quattro (f/3.9) Sky-Watcher Newtonian does not give this many issues when in my backyard.  I have had some plate solving issues at times but rarely with the 6”.
Changed to using Stellarium for slewing to objects.  During the night on three objects, tracking was not really good, and most pictures were just trash having what looked like double stars on all stars.

 

I am a southerner located in the deep south and going to the club’s observing field during this cold snap is just too cold for me and other club members.  Most members just do observing, while I and one other do astrophotography.

 

Do you think the sky conditions are causing the issues?  Really like coming back into the house to stay warm.

[hyiger]

It’s not light pollution that is the problem, it’s the C8 at f/10 and your camera. Without a reducer the field of view is only 0.54°x0.37°. Whether or not you can plate solve depends on what database (and application) you are using to plate solve and how maybe stars are in your image (i.e. exposure time).  Also, strongly suggest you get a reducer to work with that scope. Reason you don’t have an issue with the Quattro is it’s much faster and much larger FOV. 

Edited by hyiger, 30 November 2024 - 12:32 PM.

[ColdNights]

Thank you for the response.  Before I saw it, I had already setup the rig again for tonight.  Not only the issue of possibly needing a focal reducer but also it needed longer exposure time to plate solve.  Even with the 6.3 focal reducer on, I got the plate solve error.  Then I increased the exposure time and everything worked as it should.  Probably the same issue for PHD calibration assistance.is in need for longer exposure time for my backyard. I ran on sequence on M2 for 60 lights at 15-seconds each and now on PacMan for lights to be at 180-seconds ea..

[Forward Scatter]

What platesolving program are you using, and did you select the PS app .exe under NINA's Options>Platesolving tab?