Planning a Session

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Graeme1858 Great Britain
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Planning a Session

#1

Post by Graeme1858 »


I was just playing with Stellarium. It's so versatile that it can be used to set up hypothetical scenarios for various imaging opportunities. I rarely follow them up, mostly due to weather constraints but it's fun to play! There's a very photogenic shot of the Comet C/2017 T2 Panstarrs in a flyby of the Perseus double cluster at the end of January but you'll need a FOV greater than 60' to capture it. On the 22nd February there's a nice circle of stars framing the same comet and I would be able to capture that.


Graeme
Comet Capture.png

I wondered how others plan their astro viewing and astro imaging sessions?

Regards
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bladekeeper
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Re: Planning a Session

#2

Post by bladekeeper »


I've used SkyTools 3 quite a lot in the past to generate observing lists for objects visible from my location throughout an evening. It would do well for AP also. Sky Safari can facilitate planning as well, though not to the extent that SkyTools can.

Since I've got a pretty good visual background and have a fair knowledge of what is there in the sky per season, I usually am aware of what may be in a good position for an imaging run. I can thus target accordingly.

Also, for AP, noting what others are presently targeting and posting also adds target possibilities. Same with observing reports and visual nights. :)

And there is always good ol' fashioned thumbing through the atlas. :D
Bryan
Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10
Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris
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Graeme1858 Great Britain
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Re: Planning a Session

#3

Post by Graeme1858 »


bladekeeper wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2020 10:31 pm Also, for AP, noting what others are presently targeting and posting also adds target possibilities. Same with observing reports and visual nights. :)

Yeah, that works for ideas. And of course the monthly TSS AP competition!

What I like about doing it in Stellarium is the ability to wind time forward whilst fixed on various objects to see where they are going to be with respect to backgrounds, elevations and the Moon etc.
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Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.

https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Graeme1858 Great Britain
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Re: Planning a Session

#4

Post by Graeme1858 »


Here's a good one for anyone East of Greenwich tomorrow night:
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Capture.PNG
______________________________________________
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.

https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Re: Planning a Session

#5

Post by STEVE333 »


I use Stellarium almost exclusively for planning my AP. If you enter your camera and telescope information into stellarium it can draw a rectangle on the display that represents your system FOV. The rectangle can be rotated to represent what rotating the camera would do. I use the coordinates of the center off the FOV in stellarium to determine the "GoTo" coordinates for my mount, and, it works every time!

Sometimes Stellarium won't have an image of the target I want to image, so, I find an image using Google, then, comparing the stars in the image to those in Stellarium I can usually identify the "GoTo" coordinates.

Don't know what I would do without Stellarium.

Cheers,
Steve
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Re: Planning a Session

#6

Post by Graeme1858 »


Might have a go at this from the bedroom window with the mobile phone

19:09 UTC
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Capture.PNG
______________________________________________
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.

https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Graeme1858 Great Britain
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Re: Planning a Session

#7

Post by Graeme1858 »


Forgot to post this.

Image

Not sure it was worth it anyway! It looked a lot more exciting in Stellarium!

Regards

Graeme
______________________________________________
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.

https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Re: Planning a Session

#8

Post by Kanadalainen »


I use skysafari 6 pro and advance the skies in the software to match my prospective trip. I also like Stellarium... just as you've outlined.

SS6 is tethered to the push to Nexus computer on my dob, and it works like a charm.
Ian

Fracs: Stellarvue 70T f6; SW 120mm Esprit f7; "Mark Mk. II" - 60 mm Tasco f6; C80 frac f 11.4
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Re: Planning a Session

#9

Post by KingClinton »


I used stellarium at first and then migrated to SkySafari.
I also find it useful to use various websites and TSS, to see what others have on their lists.

With climate change our local Weather patterns have changed. I have had more cloudy nights over the last four months than I care for!
Trying to put together a list is tricky since I have no idea when I might see the stars again. A list made now will no longer be valid in another months time.

I have a observing list in Skysafari called "future observations" that I started 6 months ago, I have completed 2 from the list of 20 odd.
Eyeballs, binoculars, sketch box, Scopes n stuff.
Some people don't understand why I love astronomy so much, I cannot understand why they do not!

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Re: Planning a Session

#10

Post by Graeme1858 »


KingClinton wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:02 am I used stellarium at first and then migrated to SkySafari.
I also find it useful to use various websites and TSS, to see what others have on their lists.

With climate change our local Weather patterns have changed. I have had more cloudy nights over the last four months than I care for!
Trying to put together a list is tricky since I have no idea when I might see the stars again. A list made now will no longer be valid in another months time.

I have a observing list in Skysafari called "future observations" that I started 6 months ago, I have completed 2 from the list of 20 odd.

More cloudy nights seems to be an international thing!

I've not tried Skysafari since I don't have any Apple hardware. But I just read a Skysafari 6 advert and some of the tools sound very useful like Say It, Tilt It and Plan It.

Regards

Graeme
______________________________________________
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.

https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Re: Planning a Session

#11

Post by KingClinton »


Graeme1858 wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 8:28 am
KingClinton wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:02 am I used stellarium at first and then migrated to SkySafari.
I also find it useful to use various websites and TSS, to see what others have on their lists.

With climate change our local Weather patterns have changed. I have had more cloudy nights over the last four months than I care for!
Trying to put together a list is tricky since I have no idea when I might see the stars again. A list made now will no longer be valid in another months time.

I have a observing list in Skysafari called "future observations" that I started 6 months ago, I have completed 2 from the list of 20 odd.

More cloudy nights seems to be an international thing!

I've not tried Skysafari since I don't have any Apple hardware. But I just read a Skysafari 6 advert and some of the tools sound very useful like Say It, Tilt It and Plan It.

Regards

Graeme
Skysafari is also available for Android, so I use it on my phone and tablet that both run Android.
Eyeballs, binoculars, sketch box, Scopes n stuff.
Some people don't understand why I love astronomy so much, I cannot understand why they do not!

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