Plate solving tips

[kinetic (Steve)]

Can anyone recommend a good freeware plate solving program
or as an alternative, an effective cheap one?
I want to run an image through an astrometric plate solve routine
to measure the depth in one of my images.
Another alternative would be for a kind person to run the image
through theirs if possible...

Any tips would be appreciated,

cheers,

Steve

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

You could try Elbrus. You might have more luck than I have had.

Paul Haese might have some more comments on it.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/S...guid=333414068

[gbeal]

Steve,
I had had limited success with maxim, sometimes it solves beautifully, others No Way Hose.
I did look at Elbrus as well, and gave up. I may re-look at it.
Gary

[Moon (James)]

If you post the image, I can do it on http://astrometry.net/ for you.

[Dennis]

Steve

I’ve got CCDSoft and The Sky 6 Pro with the USNO A2 database down to around mag 19 stars.

Basically if the image in CCDSoft has the RA and DEC coordinates and image scale, it can (usually) link to The Sky and identify key reference stars.

If you send me the image I can try this if that is what you are after? The “ideal” image would be a FITs image with the RA/DEC coordinates in the header file.

Cheers

Dennis

[Moon (James)]

There are no requirements for http://astrometry.net/ - it's a blind search and any old FITS, JPEG, GIF, PNG file or a URL will work.

[Terry B]

I use elbrus. It solves 99% of all images I give it as long as it is within 5 deg and the orientation of my camera stays unchanged. It gets the coordinates from ASCOM and the scope or you can put them in manually.

[kinetic (Steve)]

Thanks guys for the suggestions.
I will give it a go myself and let you know how I went.
Does it matter that the DSI pixels (ICX429 CCD) are a 8.6µmx8.3µm
(ie not square)....or is that better?

For the record this is the image I mean on my website.
Open Cluster somewhere in Norma, approx declination 55 south
The titles might throw it out, I'll see if I can dig out the full res
result FIT that Neb spat out, less titles.

Cheers,

Steve

[Moon (James)]

It failed with the text:
http://live.astrometry.net/status.ph...01001-11420416

Failed again with a black box over the text
http://live.astrometry.net/status.ph...01001-52961320

Then failed again with the text cropped out
http://live.astrometry.net/status.ph...01001-77154910

Hmmm - maybe it's the non square pixels?

Compressed x by 4%: - failed again
http://live.astrometry.net/status.ph...01001-46043047

Compressed y by 4% - failed again
http://live.astrometry.net/status.ph...01001-53537297

Perhaps try a higher resolution version?? What was the fl?

[DeanoNZL (Adrian)]

Steve,
I have found Elbrus works better for me if the pixels are squared first.
Once it is calibrated to your setup, it normally solves inside 10 seconds.
Can you give us access to the raw DSI image, and also what your acrsec/pixel.

[kinetic (Steve)]

Originally Posted by DeanoNZL

Steve,
I have found Elbrus works better for me if the pixels are squared first.
Once it is calibrated to your setup, it normally solves inside 10 seconds.
Can you give us access to the raw DSI image, and also what your acrsec/pixel.

I will try and upload a FIT result with no processing other than a
slight crop and initial curve.
It's 706x565 pixels from the DSI II. approx 800kb
(DSI pixels are 8.6µmx 8.3µm) FL was 1524mm.


Steve

[Moon (James)]

Wow, the FITS file failed as well. I'll email the developers and see what they say.

http://live.astrometry.net/status.ph...01001-72216776

James