This session involved using the new test rig which comprises a Stella Mira 66 ED APO refractor with a field flattener and Altair magnetic 2" filter holder with an Altair Quadband filter; a ZWO EAF and a SV405CC OSC 14 bit TEC cooled CMOS camera, using an SVBONY SV165 guide scope with a QHY-5II-M guide camera. The equipment was mounted on a Celestron AVX mount.
The equipment capturing data
AstroDMx Capture captured the data, controlled the mount and the ZWO EAF via an INDI server running on the imaging computer indoors.
Imaging computer
As usual, the mount was placed on marks on the ground which quickly gives quite a good polar alignment if care is taken with the placement of the tripod feet.
The marks on the concrete base on which the mount is placed.
PHD2 was used for multi-star pulse auto-guiding and controlled by a separate Linux computer indoors.
AstroDMx Capture was used to send the scope/mount to Altair; with plate-solving to centre the star. AstroDMx Capture then controlled the ZWO EAF via the INDI server to exactly focus the star using an Angeleyes Bahtinov mask.
Altair being focused with a Bahtinov mask
The focus position was stored as a preset for this particular filter so focus can be easily achieved in the future when using the Altair Quadband filter.
AstroDMx Capture was used to capture 2 hours worth of data on the Omega nebula, M17. This was achieved by capturing 40 x 3 minute exposures. Eight images were captured (24 minutes) before an assisted meridian flip was used to re-acquire M17 and re-centre it in the field of view. The remaining 32 images were captured on the west side of the meridian.
AstroDMx Capture capturing data on the east side of the meridian
With a negative preview
AstroDMx Capture capturing data on the west side of the meridian
With a negative preview
In addition to the Light frames, Darks, Flats and Dark-Flats were used for calibration and stacking of the data.
The images were calibrated and stacked in Deep Sky Stacker (in a virtual Windows machine running on the Linux imaging computer) which is running Ubuntu Cinnamon Linux.
Note: AstroDMx Capture is a cross platform program that runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Arm Linux (for the Raspberry Pi).
The stacked image was processed with The Gimp 2.10, Starnet++ for star removal and replacement techniques, Neat Image for noise reduction, PhotoScape X Pro and PaintShop Pro Ultimate 2023 for detailed colour processing.
Click on the image to get a closer view
M17, The Omega or Swan nebula
The image has been rotated into a more familiar orientation.
In conclusion the SV405CC camera performed flawlessly and AstroDMx Capture controlled the ZWO EAF precisely.
AstroDMx Capture is in the process of being updated with new features and updated SDKs. Also, the hardware, both computer and telescope plus focuser equipment is being updated and extended to support more equipment.
