Do you create image mosaics of the larger deep sky objects? If you have an imaging setup that delivers only a small field of view the chances are that you do, or that you have at least tried to. If you do, how have you got on with positioning your camera so that each image in the mosaic precisely lines up with its adjacent images and has sufficient, but not too much, overlap? My experience is that that can be a real challenge and I usually end up with a ragged outline that needs to be severely trimmed back and I often unwittingly leave gaps that need to be filled in later. Being unable to find a tool that could help me guide my camera to exactly the right spot to image each frame I decided to create my own. I have now finished developing an application that works in conjunction with a sky atlas. The application allows you to design and then use a mosaic of imaging frames suited to your imaging camera and optical train. The mosaic floats over the sky atlas display and provides an exact frame of reference for positioning your imaging camera for each image.
Currently the application works only on Windows platforms and only with a sky atlas that allows you to display the sky in equatorial mode i.e. with lines of declination running horizontally across the screen and lines of right ascension running vertically.
I am looking for a few persons who are willing to trial the application. They are under no obligation to provide feedback although obviously I will welcome receiving it. In particular I would like to have their views as to the applicaton's general fitness for purpose, to learn of any detected bugs and to get any suggestions for improvement that they may care to make. And if they do provide feedback I will make sure that they receive upgrades that correct detected bugs and implement accepted suggestions for improvement.
You will get some idea of the application by looking at the attached screenshots.
If you would like to participate please send an email to
asimoplan@aol.com stating your name and a return email address. I will then arrange for the application files to be sent to you.
Cheers. David