Camera rotation

[Stevaus]

What’s the easiest way to check & set camera rotation? I’m using a ZWO ASI1600 on a Tak FSQ85 in a permanent remote observatory. I don’t have a motorised rotator but the Tak has a manual rotator. I understand that there’s no ‘up’ or ‘down’ :) but I see my images are around 180 degrees to most posted images. Best to just do by trial and error or is there an application that can help?

[etill]

If you use NINA you can enable the rotator and select 'manual'. If you then frame the target and send to the sequencer it will tell you which way to rotate and by how much while it does it's centring of the target.

I don't know if that helps at a remote location, were you intending to set it up while there physically? With NINA you'd need to be there while it slews to the target and centres it, so at night time..

[The_bluester]

If you are thinking about visual representation, just rotate in Photoshop or whatever you use for final processing. Even if you were to flip the camera 180 degrees, you can still end up with the "wrong" orientation after stacking depending on the stacking software you use and how many images are taken on each side of the meridian (Unless you are really dedicated and flip the camera rotation post meridian)

Aside from that it is all arbitrary anyway. So long as they are rotated and not mirrored, present objects however you like best! A few of the more striking images you see are familiar objects in uncommon orientations.

[Stevaus]

Thanks Elliot, I'm not a user of NINA (I'm using Voyager), I'll look into it.

[Stevaus]

Thanks Paul, yes - I could just chill, couldn't i? :-)