Ultimate space simulation software

 
A-L-E-X
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30 Dec 2020 20:50

My friend just bought a ZWO ASI2600 colour camera and a ZWO advanced auto focuser. 

Should arrive next week.  We are going to have a bit of a learning curve to work out how to use it with Nina.
so you can connect that right to the telescope and the camera will automatically focus?  Thats the biggest issue I have with telescopes, I hate manually focusing.
 
vlad01
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31 Dec 2020 02:34

Yeah you attached it to one of the knobs and configure it in the software, in this case Nina which will take care of everything pretty much, from imaging, focus to plate solving.   The issue now is learning how to configure and use the software. 

The idea is the focuser talks to the camera and vise versa by ascomm over USB I think? and the software looks at the image and sends commands accordingly.
 
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04 Jan 2021 14:53

It sounds intriguing!  where did you purchase it from?
 
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midtskogen
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05 Jan 2021 16:04

A pretty meteor from one of our meteor cameras last night:
harestua-20210104232138-gnomonic.jpg
Might even have dropped some small meteorites.
NIL DIFFICILE VOLENTI
 
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06 Jan 2021 02:36

That shows the kind of color changes I saw with the Perseids that we previously talked about during the summer!  Was this associated with any shower?  I believe there's a shower that happens in early January?
 
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midtskogen
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06 Jan 2021 05:49

This was a sporadic, but the quadrantides are active currently producing nice meteors.

The colour change in this case seems real, not just because of atmospheric scattering since it faded about 15 degrees above the horizon.  Dark flight began at around 20 km altitude, and a thundering sound was heard over a large area.  It was registered by NORSAR who survey seismic activity in Norway.
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vlad01
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06 Jan 2021 16:50

It sounds intriguing!  where did you purchase it from?
My friend got it from Bintel, one of the biggest optical retailers in Australia. It was the only one available in the country of that model since covid has made everyone buy everything up.
 
vlad01
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07 Jan 2021 19:11

Finally worked out how to get Nina to work with the auto focuser, plate solving and the imaging itself with the sequencer.

It was very windy out so not the best but fist light with the ZWO colour camera.  Spent so long with learning how to get things to work the night was long before we ever got some pics to use.   120 sec exposures, 100 gain x 10 and x4 dark at 120 sec also.  So only 20min all up for the light frames.

sensor temp was -15ºC and what a difference that makes to the sensitivity.
neb1.png
 
A-L-E-X
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07 Jan 2021 23:51

Nice!  How do you get the sensor temp so low?  Also what scope do you use?
 
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07 Jan 2021 23:54

This was a sporadic, but the quadrantides are active currently producing nice meteors.

The colour change in this case seems real, not just because of atmospheric scattering since it faded about 15 degrees above the horizon.  Dark flight began at around 20 km altitude, and a thundering sound was heard over a large area.  It was registered by NORSAR who survey seismic activity in Norway.
It's amazing Mid!  How close to the ground do you estimate it got before evaporating (or maybe some small pieces may have made it to the ground)?
 
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midtskogen
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08 Jan 2021 05:31

It's amazing Mid!  How close to the ground do you estimate it got before evaporating (or maybe some small pieces may have made it to the ground)?
I think this one gave meteorites on the ground.  So far it looks like dark flight began pretty much straight over an infrasound station (one of two in Norway).  An analysis of the videos gave me a point just 3 km away.  Now, that wont happen again in several centuries.
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vlad01
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08 Jan 2021 05:50

Just did a crash course on Pixinsight and managed to finally get an image.

Much better SNR using that compared to DSS. I did a little editing to boost the colours and contrast but tried to keep it more natural compared to the above pic which was done in DSS.
Neb1.PNG
 
vlad01
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08 Jan 2021 05:52

Nice!  How do you get the sensor temp so low?  Also what scope do you use?
The sensor can go 30 below ambient.  Not sure what the limits are.

The scope is a sky watcher 200mm F4 pretty sure.
 
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09 Jan 2021 21:38

Figured there is no limit to the sensor temp, it's 30 below ambient.   I got it to -19.8ºC last night but that was maxed out and it was low teens ambient.   On the colder nights it gets down to 5-8 even in summer, winter is about 0 - neg 3.

So on a clear winter night should be able to get -30
 
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11 Jan 2021 22:57

Just did a crash course on Pixinsight and managed to finally get an image.

Much better SNR using that compared to DSS. I did a little editing to boost the colours and contrast but tried to keep it more natural compared to the above pic which was done in DSS.

Neb1.PNG
Vlad, there are a couple of other programs I'd like for you to try and let me know which one you like more (they are all free),  Besides DSS, check out Sequator and SiRiL.
I like Sequator for high SNR also, but DSS is unbeatable for removing hot pixels when you dont take dark frames (which I dont.)  SiRiL is supposed to be the best (for freeware anyway) but it has so many options I haven't started tackling it yet.  

Vlad are you using TEC (thermo electric cooling)?

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