M13 Globular cluster in Hercules

[Carole]

Had a few health issues recently, plus being despondent with the Home LP and lack of narrowband opportunities, I finally got out and did some imaging as Duncan's Globular cluster reminded me that they were an option.  Thanks Duncan.   Not imaged this target since 2012. 

I decided to get myself the same LP filter that Roberto uses seeing as he seems to be able to get some good success from home, so this was the chance to try it out and see if it would work for me as well.

So following Roberto's suggestion and also that of the person I bought the filter from, I used a Hutech Idas LPS P2 filter instead of a luminance filter from my Home Bortle 8 location and no LP filter on the RGB. 

Taken one and two days past a full Moon as well, so i think a good test for this filter.

Not sure what to call the Luminance component now
24 x 180 secs Hutech Idas filter as luminance
Red 6 x 180 secs
Green 5 x 180 secs
Blue 5 x 180 secs
Total imaging time 2 hours

Atik428EX and x0.8 FR
Skywatcher ED120
HEQ5

Seeing as this was taken one and two days past a full Moon as well, I am very pleased with the result of the new filter, though I did only process with Levels for this target, it could of course be a different story for processing Nebulae and Galaxies, so will have to see.

Edited image


This was also my first try with plate solving.  It worked on the first night, but not the second night using Astrometry.net have not managed it yet with APT/Pointcraft.

Carole

[The Thing]

Very nice Carole, I think using the LP filter on Luminance has worked very well.

Platesolving is worth getting working, it will save you hours of lining up targets, just load an old image (could be someone elses!) of your target, solve it, GoTo++ it (in APT) and the target will be centred up just as before in just a few minutes.

[Carole]

just load an old image (could be someone elses!) of your target, solve it,

Oh crikey, that's different to the instructions I have been given.  How does the Pointcraft know where you are currently pointing if you upload an image already pointing at the target.

I have been told to take an image of where I am pointing, then get APT to solve where I am.  Then ask it to to go to the intended target.

I am not too disappointed with the first try as seeing as it also failed in Astrometry.net, perhaps it was a vague part of the sky that neither recognised.

Also I can't seem to get a captured, image to show on the APT screen, all I get is a load of fuzz.  So I took the image in Artemis anyway and then uploaded it to APT where it showed just fine.  Any ideas?  this is what I got on APT.  (NB not planning to image with APT as I love Artemis too much, but just use it for platesolving and then swap over to Artemis.

This is what downloaded in APT after 20secs - any ideas?



Now I have re-read your instructions, I think it is just "going at it" a different way. 
Now what I have been doing is starting up CdC and EQmod and then connecting to the mount in APT, is this right?

So then do I use APT to GOTO the target or CdC/EQmod (then get APT to plate solve it)?

Still confused.

Carole

[Carole]

Regarding the Hutech LP filter, it certainly looks to be a success on this image, but I think doing a Nebula will be the real test as not a lot of stretching needs to be done with a globular cluster.  But Even stretching the image far beyond what is required of a globular cluster I can;t see any sign of the usual swirls of gradients that I normally get, so fingers crossed.............................

Was particularly pleased seeing as how it was near enough a full Moon.

Carole

[ApophisAstros]

Re APT
It knows where you are pointing because its connected to the mount through eqmod,
Nice image.
Roger

[Carole]

Thanks Roger

[Carole]

Found out what was wrong with the APT 20sec image.  It was still on simulator from when I was setting up EQMOd over Teamviewer.

I just thought it was attached to the correct camera when it just accepted the connection.  Duh!!!!

Carole

[The Thing]

APT and Platesolving:
I have Platesolve2 set up and All Sky Plate Solver (ASPS) for Blind solving which often works better and faster. There are good instructions in the help and people have done videos on YouTube.

What I do for a new target is:
Connect EQMOD to the mount,
Connect CdC to EQMOD and use that to goto the target initially,
Connect APT to the camera and mount,
Open Pointcraft and use its settings dialog to set an appropriate exposure time for AUTO and GoTo++ functionality.

Use Pointcraft dialog to take a plate and solve and sync it (AUTO) or if I have taken a shot already I may use that,
- sometimes the first slew coordinates of a evenings session is reported by EQMOD as too far out and the solve fails, it can help to select the target in the object browser to populate the initial coordinates rather than use the scope position. The Sync corrects EQMOD for the next slew. If using a pier make sure EQMOD is saving the sync points to its pointing model for next time.

CdC will now show an accurate rectangle for the chip size and angle (make sure you have enabled the connection in APT settings, Planetarium tab) which helps framing enormously. You can then use CdC to slew again and repeat from the top,
OR
Use the GoTo++ section of the Pointcraft dialog: populate the target object coordinates from the Object Browser or type in, push the button.
I like the Aim function, when you have solved the image and the target is visible off centre, click Aim, click on your desired centre in the image e.g. M13 in this case, and push Goto++.

HTH

Duncan

[ApophisAstros]

I think i will give that a go next time,
Roger

[Carole]

Thanks for that Duncan have copied and pasted it for next opportunity.

Carole

[NoelC]

Nice Carole
You even managed a galaxy in with it!.

Yes; a good process flow Duncan thank you.  How long does ASPS take to solve?
I tried PS2 (on a saved image) and it took over 2 minutes.
Also; do you get the 'too far out to sync' error?  I was always finding the mount was too far away from where CdC thought it was, so it rejected the sync, requiring me to re-align the mount first.
(Sorry Carole)

Noel

[The Thing]

Hi Noel,

If PS2 hasn't solved in a minute it generally won't in my experience, ASPS will solve the image wherever it is in the sky and takes about the same time. With both, once one image has been solved successfully they are both much quicker so I think there must be some caching of indexes or something. I generally have PS2 solving in a second or so, second go, using a 5 second sub at unity gain. Really sharp focus helps a lot as does good tracking = pointy stars.

It's EQMOD rejecting the sync. If you have an alignment model already set up (you are pier mounted...) then change EQMOD to Dialog Based not Append on Sync. This causes the new Sync to register the difference in the save data points to the current way the mount is pointing at the sky and fills in the DxSA DxSB boxes and 'corrects' the saved data so it all becomes valid again. I seem to recall this is necessary as mounts like to slew differently on different nights for mechanical reasons or just to be bolshy - but all I really know is it works!

HTH

Duncan

[The Thing]

Sorry Carole, your thread has been hijacked!

[Carole]

Sorry Carole, your thread has been hijacked!

It's all pretty useful information. 

Thanks Noel, I hadn't noticed the galaxy.

Carole