Further tests with AstroDMx Capture with an SV605CC and an Altair Starwave 60ED doublet refractor

AstroDMx Capture with an SV605CC and an Altair Starwave 60ED doublet refractor with field-flattener and dew heater strip.

The equipment was mounted on a Celestron AVX GOTO mount. An SVBONY SV165 guide-scope fitted with a QHY-5II-M guide camera was mounted on the imaging scope. A Raspberry Pi computer running an INDI server was connected to the hand controller and communicated with the indoor computer running AstroDMx Capture via WiFi. The guide camera was connected by USB to the indoors computer running PHD2 auto-guiding software. An Altair 2” magnetic filter holder version 2 containing an LeNhance narrowband filter was placed in the optical train.

The AVX mount was placed on the usual marks on the concrete base. The mount was turned on and AstroDMx Capture passed the time, location and altitude coordinates to the hand controller via the INDI server. The hand controller which now contained all of the correct information was set to its previous alignment and was unparked by AstroDMx Capture.

AstroDMx Capture connected the SV605CC OSC camera, set the camera temperature to -10 degrees C and sent the scope/mount to Deneb. AstroDMX Capture plate solved the field and centred Deneb in the field of view. A Bahtinov mask was placed on the imaging scope and Deneb was brought to focus.

The Bahtinov mask was removed and AstroDMx Capture sent the scope/mount to the Pelican nebula, plate solved and centred the Pelican Nebula.

PHD2 was used for autoguiding.

AstroDMx Capture was used to capture 20 x 3 min FITS exposures of the Pelican nebula.

The imaging computer indoors

The sub frames were stacked and part processed in Deep Sky Stacker and post processed in the Gimp 2.10 and Neat Image.

The Pelican nebula

The image of the Pelican nebula was combined with the image of the North America nebula from the previous imaging session using Microsoft ICE

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AstroDMx Capture was then used to send the scope/mount to the open cluster M29 in Cygnus, plate solve the field and centre M29

AstroDMx Capture was used to capture just 3 x 5 min FITS exposures of M29 and surrounding nebulosity before the imaging session was terminated by clouds.

The sub-frames were stacked and part processed in Deep sky stacker and post processed in the Gimp2.10 and Neat image.

M29 and surrounding nebulosity

AstroDMx Capture performed flawlessly in this experiment that involved no star alignments or eyepiece work. The whole imaging session was conducted from indoors. 

This session again brings closer a release of AstroDMx Capture with advanced functionality. 

AstroDMx Capture with an SV605CC and an Altair Starwave ASCENT 60ED doublet refractor with field-flattener.

AstroDMx Capture with an SV605CC and an Altair Starwave ASCENT 60ED doublet refractor with field-flattener.

The equipment was mounted on a Celestron AVX GOTO mount. An SVBONY SV165 guide-scope fitted with a QHY-5II-M guide camera was mounted on the imaging scope. A Raspberry Pi computer running an INDI server was connected to the hand controller and communicated with the indoor computer running AstroDMx Capture via WiFi. The guide camera was connected by USB to the indoors computer running PHD2 autoguiding software. An Altair 2” magnetic filter holder version 2 was placed in the optical train so that filters could be rapidly changed.

The AVX mount was placed on marks on the concrete base where it is always placed for each imaging session. The mount was not given a star alignment. It was turned on and AstroDMx Capture passed the time, location and altitude coordinates to the hand controller via the INDI server.

The hand controller which now contained all of the correct information was set to its Previous alignment and was unparked by AstroDMx Capture.An Optolong L-eNhance narrowband filter was placed in the filter holder.

AstroDMx Capture connected the SV605CC OSC camera, set the camera temperature to -10 degrees C and sent the scope/mount to Deneb.

AstroDMX Capture plate solved the field and centred Deneb in the field of view. A Bahtinov mask was placed on the imaging scope and Deneb was brought to sharp focus.

The Bahtinov mask was removed and AstroDMx Capture sent the scope/mount to NGC7000. Plate solved and centred the North America Nebula.

PHD2 was used for autoguiding.

AstroDMx Capture was used to capture 22 x 3 min FITS exposures of NGC7000 with matching dark-frames.

The sub-frames were stacked and part processed in Deep Sky Stacker and post processed in the Gimp 2.10 and Neat Image.

The North America Nebula

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The L-eNhance filter was replaced by an IR/UV cut filter and AstroDMx Capture sent the scope/mount to Rigel, plate solved the field and centred the star in the field of view. The Bahtinov mask was used to bring Rigel to an exact focus. The Bahtinov mask was removed and AstroDMx Capture was used to sent the scope/mount to M42 the Orion nebula, plate solve the field of view and centre the object. Then AstroDMx Capture was used to nudge the nebula to the required position for composing the image of M42/43 and the Running Man nebula.

AstroDMx Capture was used to capture 50 x 10s exposures, 50 x 20s exposures and 20 x 70s FITS exposures of the Orion nebulae.

The sub-frames were stacked and part processed in Deep Sky Stacker,  and post processed in the Gimp2.10 and Neat image.

The Orion nebula and the Running Man nebula

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Then the LeNhance narrowband filter was placed in the optical train and AstroDMx Capture was used to send the scope/mount to Sirius, plate solve and centre the star. The Bahtinov mask was used and the small adjustment needed to bring Sirius into focus was made.

The Bahtinov mask was removed and AstroDMx Capture was used to send the scope/mount to NGC2244, the Satellite open cluster at the centre of the Rosette nebula, plate solve and centre the cluster in the field of view.

AstroDMx Capture was used to capture 10 x 5min FITS exposures of the Rosette nebula.

The sub-frames were stacked and part processed in Deep Sky Stacker and post-processed in the Gimp and Neat Image.

The Rosette nebula and the Satellite cluster

The SV605CC paired nicely with the 60mm Altair Starwave ED refractor. It will be noted that dark-frames were captured for the image of NGC700 but not for the other two objects. This is because the SV605CC uses the Sony IMX533 which exhibits zero amp glow. There was no evidence of any problems caused by the lack of dark-frame calibration. AstroDMx Capture performed flawlessly in this experiment that involved no star alignments or eyepiece work. The whole imaging session was conducted from indoors with only a safety check during a meridian flip to make certain that there was no cable snagging.

This session brings closer a release of AstroDMx Capture with advanced functionality.

The Orion nebulae and the Rosette nebula with AstroDMx Capture and an SV605CC camera

These images were obtained whilst testing the mount-control features of AstroDMx Capture and at the same time testing the newly implemented SVBONY SV605CC

A (slightly out of collimation) Skywatcher Esprit ED 80 APO refractor was mounted on a Celestron AVX GOTO mount. A Field flattener was placed in the optical train. An SVBONY SV605CC OSC camera was directly connected to the optical train, so there was no flexure. To image the Orion nebulae, no filter was used and to image the Rosette nebula a 2" L-eNhance filter was used. An Altair magnetic 2" filter holder was included in the optical train.

The mount was given a 1 star alignment on Aldebaran and the scope was focused using a Bahtinov mask. The focusing was repeated when the filter was inserted.

AstroDMx Capture was used to send the mount to M42, plate solve and centre the object in the field of view.

AstroDMx Capture was used to capture 50 x 20s FITS exposures with matching dark-frames. The images were calibrated, registered, stacked and partly processed in Siril. The final image was post-processed in the Gimp and Neat Image.

The Orion nebulae, M42/34 and the Running man nebula

The L-eNhance narrowband filter was then introduced into the optical train and the scope was refocused using a Bahtinov mask, having been sent to a bright star.

AstroDMx Capture then sent the scope to the Rosette nebula, plate solved and centred the object. The nudge function in AstroDMx Capture was used to further compose the image to get more of the nebulosity in the field of view.

AstroDMx Capture was used to capture 35 x 60s FITS exposures with matching dark-frames. The images were calibrated, registered, stacked and partly processed in Siril. The final image was post-processed in the Gimp and Neat Image.

The Red Channel as seen in Siril

The Rosette nebula

The SV605CC camera has a Sony IMX533 CMOS square colour sensor and a 14 bit ADC. The sensor is essentially free of amp-glow which helps with imaging and also with EAA and outreach.