Platesolve position in Stellarium

[Spidy]

O.K., so after a very frustrating start to last night's imaging session (my first "real" session) I want to know of the quickest and easiest way of determining where you're actually pointing to, VISUALLY in Stellarium, in the sky. So my question is, after you use NINA or whatever to plate solve, is there a way to display exactly where you're pointing to in Stellarium?


Currently I'm using the very slow method of uploading to Astrometry.net, but it's very difficult to get a feel as to exactly how far off polar aligned you are using their small images on the results page.

[Wilsil]

Last night I have used Plate solving in APT for the first time to get back to the target of the night before.
After APT was completed (5 pixels off center) Stellarium showed me where the mount was pointing.
So yes, it does show it but only after you have connected your scope to Stellarium.

[Spidy]

Thanks for the reply Wilco.


Does anyone know if this is the case with NINA plate solve as well (or SharpCap for that matter)?

[Wilsil]

I would think that is doesn't matter, as long as your mount is connected with Stellarium as the position is coming from the mount directly.

[Spidy]

Yeah, I might try connecting to CPWI, give the mount Go to Home command, plate solve, using whatever (ASCAP, NINA, Sharpcap) and then see where Stellarium tells me I'm pointing to. I'll then adjust the mounts manual slew knobs to get me close enough to the SCP to get Sharpcap to kick off it's polar align routine.



I'll give it another go next clear night I get. In Melbourne, that might be a while.

[Wilsil]

So what is the problem?
You can't get Sharpcap to give you the adjustments?
I had the same but I noticed that Sharpcap gives you a few "numbers".
The N position had it in my case as 86 degrees something. I moved the mount until it was closer to 90 degrees and then voila, status: solved.

[Spidy]

Yeah, I got mine to within 88 and once even 89, but in NINA. Sharpcap still failed to solve.


Not sure what you mean by Sharpcap giving these numbers. I'm still learning. Does it give these numbers before it solves (I can't remember now)?



This is only the third time I tried to polar align with Sharpcap. First time was mediocre, second time was great, last night was terrible.:( Last time I actually marked my concrete with a sharpy pen, of course all the rain we've been getting has washed them away.