Software – PekDar – Astrophotography Engineering

SynScan controller firmware update – NEQ6Pro

PekDar — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 11:51:00 +0000

WARNING – the author of this manual accepts no responsibility, for any damages that may occur as a result of following this manual. All actions described in this manual are undertaken at your own risk.

SynScan controller firmware update – Introduction

Starting from version 3.0, users can independently update the firmware of SynScan controllers for NEQ mounts. Simply download the latest software version from the Sky-Watcher website and perform the update following the instructions provided here.

Requirements

SynScan™ Hand Control of version 3.0 or later.
Windows 8.1 or later
An available RS-232C communication port on the PC
RS232-USB hardware converter in case of missing DB9 COM port in your laptop / PC
PC link cable that comes with the SynScan™ hand control
DC power supply with 12~14V/1A output. Power plug should be 2.1mm diameter, tip positive.

SynScan firmware update – example hardware required

Preparation for update

Create a directory called SynScan, preferably on your C:\ drive.

Visit the Support Page of the Sky-Watcher website at htt ps://www.skywatcher.com/download/software/

Download and save two files, follow with example:

Windows program: SynScan Firmware Loader, Version 3.5 – click with Download button.

SynScan V4 – webpage with loader download

you’ll save a file with name: synscan_verXXXXXX_firmware_release.zip

where XXXXXX – is a version nr

Next download Firmware: SynScan V4/V5 Hand Controller For All GO-TO Mounts, Version 4.39.21 – click on Download button

SynScan V4 – webpage with firmware download

you’ll save a file with name: synscanfirmwareloader_verXX.zip

where XX – is version nr

Connecting devices

Connect the USB-COM (RS232) adapter to the computer’s USB port.

SynScan firmware update – USB-COM adapter

Connect the male COM plug of the adapter to the female COM plug of the SynScan controller cable.

SynScan firmware update – COM connection between H.C. and laptop

Connect the RJ-11 plug of the controller’s COM cable to the RJ-11 port on the controller. Ensure that the plug is securely inserted—you should hear a distinct “click” as the plug snaps firmly into place in the controller’s socket.

SynScan V4 COM RJ-11 plugged

Connect the controller to the mount using the dedicated cable – RJ45 plug to the COM port on the mount. Ensure the cable is securely connected to both the controller and the mount for proper communication during operation.

SynScan firmware update – connected equipment

We now have the following connection setup – example:

SynScan firmware update – connected equipment

Firmware update the SynScan™ Hand Control

On the controller, simultaneously press and hold the buttons “0” and “8.” Turn on the mount’s power as shown in below photo.

The controller will emit a “beep” sound during startup and then display the message “SynScan Update Ver….” as shown in the image. The controller has now been set to firmware update mode.

This indicates that the device is ready for the next steps in the firmware update process.

SynScan V4 – firmware version 04.39.21

On your computer, run the Computer Manager and find the COM port which will be used for update. With this example it is COM5.

Check the COM port number on your system. Open Computer Management and locate the COM port.

To do this on a Windows system:

Press Win + X and select Computer Management from the menu.
In the Computer Management window, navigate to Device Manager.
Expand the section labeled Ports (COM & LPT).
Here, you will see a list of available COM ports along with their assigned numbers (e.g., COM1, COM2).

With this example it is COM5.

Computer Manager – COM port

Run the SynScanFirmwareLoader.exe software on your PC.

SynScan V4 Update – file explorer view

Once the program is launched, you should see a window SynScan Firmware Loader , make sure the “Auto-detect COM Port” checkbox has been unchecked. Set the COM port.

SynScan V4 Update – Loader program COM setup

Click the HC Version button. The program will attempt to connect to the controller and retrieve information about the hardware version, firmware, and the celestial object database. You will see the version numbers at the bottom of the Firmware Loader as shown on below picture.

If the program is unable to communicate with the controller, enable the Auto-detect COM Port option and click the HC Version button again.

SynScan V4 Update – Loader – present firmware version

If the Loader program cannot detect an available COM port, check the connection between the controller and the computer.

Click Browse to select the SynScanVXXXX.ssf file in the SynScan folder.

SynScan V4 Update – Loader – File selection

It is recommended to enable the – Enforce database update – option and then click the Update button to start the update procedure. This ensures that the entire database is refreshed during the update process, reducing the risk of any errors or omissions.

SynScan V4 Update – Loader – selected update file

The update status can be monitored under the Update and HC. Version buttons.

SynScan V4 Update – Loader – Erasing flash ROM process

SynScan V4 Update – Loader – Firmware update in progress

Update Complete.

SynScan V4 Update – Loader – Update process completed

Click on the HC. Version button and check if the controller has reported a new Firmware version.

The update was fully successful.

SynScan V4 Update – Loader – New firmware version

Close the Loader program and turn off mount power suppl.

Turn the mount’s power back on and check whether the controller displays the new firmware version.

SynScan V4 – firmware version 04.39.21

Check if the mount and H.C. works properly.

As you can see, the firmware update process for the SynScan V4 controller is not overly complicated, but it does require careful attention. It’s crucial to follow all the steps outlined in this guide in the correct sequence, with focus and precision.

I hope the description provided could be at least somewhat helpful.

It’s worth mentioning that the mount performs excellently in the field when used with the PERUN II power bank.

EQDIRect for NEQ and EQ mounts

PekDar — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:25:38 +0000

The GOTO controller is extremely convenient and practical to use, when you want to look at interesting night sky objects, with your own eye through the eyepiece mounted in the telescope’s focuser. The ability to quickly select an object using the GOTO controller, is invaluable. It’s way better using mount with PC and Here it comes the EQDIRect for NEQ and EQ mounts.

In astrophotography, however, the GOTO controller isn’t necessarily as convenient. I admit there were times when it actually got in my way.

I decided to remove the controller so it would no longer intermediate the mount control; its role has been taken over by Astroberry combined with an EQDirect solution. My own implementation is based on descriptions for EQDirect available on the Internet.

The topic seemed simple, however, when it came to actually building the device myself, things weren’t so obvious anymore. Some important information is missing online. It’s easy to make a mistake that could seriously damage the mount’s electronics, as well as the Astroberry or another computer to which the EQDirect is connected. Repairing these devices can be very expensive!

Once I had gathered all the necessary pieces of the “puzzle”, analyzed and double-checked the subject several times, I assembled the whole thing. Then, with a slightly trembling hand, I switched on the power to the mount.

Luckily, nothing exploded 😉 What’s more, everything works – and it works like a charm! The mount responds to and executes all commands issued to it by the KStars+EKOS duo, along with the EQMod with INDI driver, and all of this resides together in Astroberry.

EQDIRect for NEQ and EQ mounts – Astroberry configuration

Of course, EQDIRect will also work with ASCOM and other software that requires such a technical solution to control the Sky-Watcher EQ6, NEQ6Pro mounts.

It works really well, even in slightly freezing conditions – tested – see the attached photos 🙂

To protect the expensive mount from damage, my EQDIRect unit is equipped with several additional electrical protections.

Mount performs excellently in the field together with EQDirect when used together with PERUN II power bank.

If you are interested in acquiring EQDIRect made by me, please don’t hesitate to reach out me by filling out the contact form.

Astro Pixel Processor – Basic Tutorial (Step‑by‑Step Guide)

PekDar — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 17:22:56 +0000

The main goal of this Astro Pixel Processor tutorial is to provide you, with the ability to quickly stack photos using the APP program, in the shortest possible time with minimal the baggage of knowledge need. I share with you what I know. I have gained experience using the APP program on my own. Remember that each photo of collected lights is different and the examples below, will not necessarily work for your collected photo lights. You should always look for the optimal settings and solutions for each lights. Please, note that I am not the Developer of the APP (Astro Pixel Processor), but only I’m user like you. I don’t know answer to every question that bothers you. Nor am I any representative of the APP Developer or its publisher. APP provides flexible stacking algorithms compared to DSS, supports mosaics, gradient correction, and multi‑session integration. A great balance between simplicity and power. Why choose APP? APP stands out compared to other programs (e.g., DSS, PixInsight) thanks to: Flexible stacking algorithms (multi‑session integration). Support for mosaics and gradient correction.Intuitive interface and automatic calibration. It’s a great balance between simplicity and power – perfect for astrophotographers who want more than DSS without the steep learning curve of PixInsight. APP Preconfiguration Click on CFG button From the drop-down list, set the amount of RAM you want to allocate for use with APP. The rule is simple, more = better. After setting the desired amount of memory, click on OK and that’s it. Lights processing – ATIK Horizon CMOS color camera The Light files are made with “ATIK Horizon color camera” with the filter used in the optical path. We will be processing a photo from a single session so, the following settings of individual tabs are in the given configuration. Run the APP program (my version is 1.081). Shortly after starting a window will appear in which you have to enter the path, to the working directory. Preferably the same directory that contains Lights files for stacking. On the left side of the program window, under the tabs, uncheck two options: • Multi-Channel / Filter processing • Multi-Session processing In the Enter DeepSky object name: text box, enter the name of the object that was photographed. After selected files are loaded, the counter for Lights will change from 0 to the number, of files that we have indicated for loading. In my example, there are 89 files. 0) RAW/FITS ATTENTION! if your photo material was made with a camera, set pattern to supported. pattern set to supported turn off force Bayer/X-Trans CFA Click on the tab 0) RAW / FITS. It is very important to know the sensor type of the camera, on which the photos were taken. In the case of ATIK Horizon it is GRBG and such should be set for pattern from the list of available types. We enable the force Bayer / X-Trans CFA option, the other options are not changed. 1) LOAD Go back to the 1) LOAD tab and click the Light button to load the Light photo files. Notice the counter with status 0 to the right behind the buttons. In the file selection window, select the files you want to load and click the Open button. After the selected files are loaded, the counter for Light will change from 0 to the number of files, that we have indicated for loading. In my example, there are 89 files. At the very bottom of the program window, there is a preview of the list of loaded files. It is worth reading the description of each column – helpful and necessary information. Now repeat the process of loading files for the types: Flat, Dark, DarkFlat and Bias. You can skip all calibration frames or the missing type, then you should take into account that the quality of the photo will be worse. If you already have previously generated MasterFlat, MasterDark, MasterDarkFlat, MasterBias and BadPixelMap files for the Flat, Dark, DarkFlat and Bias file groups, that you want to use, you can load them now and skip the Master… regeneration process it saves a lot of time in the whole photo stacking process. WARNING! Remember that Master files generated from a given group belong to the Lights files photo session. The exceptions to this rule are BadPixelMap and MasterBias. 2) CALIBRATE Plenty of options available here, you can get a little overwhelming. We will be focusing only on a few specific options following my example. I think that the following description will be applicable in most cases of the collected lights files. Most options have a default value that we won’t change except for a few. Turn on: scale MasterDarkFlat scale MasterDark Now it’s time to generate Masters calibration files. Click on the create Masters & assign to Lights button. WARNING! – If you have already loaded Master calibration files, click the (re-) assign Masters to Lights button, this will assign the lights files to the calibration files. APP – Calibration frames options After creating the Master photos, you can see what they look like. This is very important. The quality of stacked the final photo depends on the quality of Master files preparation. In the file view list (at the bottom of the program window), you will see the Master files created. To view the mentioned files, just click 2x LMB on their name to load them to preview. Below is a sample of how my Master files look like. They are generally not bad and they are suitable as a calibration files for lights files. BadPixelMap – zoom 80% MasterDark – zoom 80% 3) ANALYZE STARS We do not change the default value. 4) REGISTER Most of the default options are set correctly and we will not change them. Let’s go to the next tab. 5) NORMALIZE Configure the individual options as described below. It is possible that some options, are already set by default as defined

StarStaX and Star Trails – Photo Stacking and Gap Filling

PekDar — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 20:36:41 +0000

Why StarStaX? In modern landscape astrophotography, creating Star Trails by taking hundreds of shorter exposures is preferred over a single, hours-long shot. This approach has a key practical advantage: if a flashlight shines into the lens, a car passes by, or the tripod gets bumped, you simply discard that single frame rather than losing the entire night’s work. To combine these frames into a final image, StarStaX is the go-to free software. It is lightweight, fast, and dedicated specifically to this task. How It Works? The “Lighten” Mode StarStaX does not sum up light in the traditional way (which would result in an overexposed, white image). It uses the “Lighten” blending mode. The software analyzes every pixel across all images and selects only the one with the highest brightness value for the final output. This ensures bright stars “overwrite” the dark sky background. Noise in the shadows does not accumulate, keeping the final image clean. The Gap Problem and “Gap Filling” There is always a tiny delay between shots (time for the camera to write the file to the card). As a result, after stacking, star trails might look like dashed lines (“beads on a string”). StarStaX solves this with the Gap Filling feature. The algorithm analyzes the end of a star trail on one frame and the beginning on the next, mathematically interpolating the missing segment. The result is perfectly smooth arcs, even if your camera has a slower buffer. “Comet Mode” Option An interesting addition is the Comet Mode. The software simulates a gradual fading of the star trail, adding dynamics and a sense of motion to the image, resembling a meteor shower or comets. Creating Star Trails is one of the most spectacular astrophotography techniques. In this comprehensive step-by-step tutorial, you will learn how to stack a series of individual frames into one stunning image using the free StarStax software. This guide includes the essential step of RAW file conversion to a lossless 16-bit PNG format using RawTherapee, and it’s friendly for Linux users (as it uses free, multi-platform tools). Capturing Star Trails in a photo is not to difficult task. There are several schools to do this. The Internet has many descriptions and videos on how to do this. I think I’ll never become a YouTuber, personally I prefer to create a document or simple instruction that describe the whole ho-to process in clear technical language and this was what it guide me during preparation this description. Remember that each photo is different and the following examples, will not necessarily work for your photo light collection. My best practice is to always look for the optimal settings and processing solutions for each photo separately. It can be also your best practice. English is not my native language. I wrote this description with my best I can, I will be grateful for any support by e-mail with information, where I made a mistake to correct it. I do not consider myself as an expert with described subject. I think I still have a lot to learn and find a way, to get an better final effect than the one presented in the photo below. Together we will go through with three main steps. Preparation of the source light frames, eg in the RawTherapee program. It can be any other program you like it to use or learn RawTherapee for self-discovery. Stacking the light frames together using the StarStax program, Complete the photo using the available functions in StarStax. 1. RawTherapee – RAW Conversion and Light Frame Preparation StarStax version 0.71 cannot handle .RAW files. Before we join the light frames together, we have to convert the .RAW type of the collected light files, to the .PNG 16bit or TIFF 16bit type. It can’t be a type, e.g. JPG or other type, that generates quality losses. I’ve chosed the .PNG 16bit type. Lets go for actions. Start the RawTherapee and go to the File Browser tab, to load light frames by clicking on the appropriate file folder. Click on the first light frame and adjust its parameters (brightness, contrast, color saturation, exposure, etc.) to your preferences. The options available on the image processing tabs, are available for this purpose. Experiment to get to know them and learn how to use them. Each processed photo has its own profile of changes. This profile should be copied and placed / pasted on the remaining photos in the queue, so that each photo has the same changes – the nature of the author of the processing. In the top preview bar, the first photo is highlighted with a colored frame – the active photo. Right-click on the active photo and select Processing profile operations → Copy from the context menu to copy the profile. Now, we will apply the copied profile to the remaining photos. On the top photo preview bar, left-click any photo, press CTRL + A to select all photos. Then right-click on any photo and select Processing profile operations → Paste. The profile will be applied to all photos almost at once. Depending on the number of photos and the processing power of your computer, the change process may take a little longer. The last step is to export the modified photos to the .PNG 16bit type. Select all photos in the same way as we did in the previous step (CTRL + A). Right-click on any photo and select Put to queue from the context menu. On the left side of the program window, click on the Queue [..] tab to change the view to the export queue. Set Output Location to Save to folder to specify the destination directory where the .PNG output files will be saved. Set File Format to PNG (16-bit). Now click the OFF switch and change it to ON to start the photo export process. Now is the time for coffee / tea / whatever you prefer. The photo export process will take a while. When it is finished, go

AutoStakkert! and Lucky Imaging: The Mathematical Battle Against Atmosphere

PekDar — Fri, 15 May 2020 06:27:12 +0000

AutoStakkert 2

Learn the best settings and a step-by-step process to stack your Lunar light frames in AutoStakkert and achieve sharper, high-resolution Moon images.

The Seeing Problem

Why is a single DSLR photo of the Moon rarely perfectly sharp? The culprit is Earth’s atmosphere. Air masses of different temperatures mix, creating turbulence that acts like lenses with varying focal lengths. This phenomenon is called seeing. In classical photography (long exposures), seeing blurs details. The engineering solution is the Lucky Imaging technique.

Mechanism: Statistics and Video

Instead of a single photo, we record thousands of video frames with very short exposure times (milliseconds). Statistically, within a second, there are moments when the atmosphere “freezes” for a fraction of a time and becomes perfectly transparent. The role of AutoStakkert! is to analyze each of the thousands of frames, grade their quality (sharpness), and select only the “lucky” ones (e.g., the best 10-20%).

At first impression, the AutoStakkert user interface does not seem easy to use. However, after getting to know the key options and understanding how the program works, its interface not more to be a secret. We will go through the stacking procedure, processing sample of Moon light frames, which I collected in the early spring of this year.

AutoStakkert! on Linux: Installation via Wine and PlayOnLinux

PekDar — Fri, 08 May 2020 19:02:24 +0000

AutoStakkert Linux installation

Windows is Not Required Many astrophotographers keep a Windows partition strictly for one piece of software: AutoStakkert!. This is an unjustified waste of resources. The stacking engine of this software runs perfectly in a Linux environment, often offering better RAM management than Microsoft’s native system due to the lightweight nature of the Linux kernel.

How It Works: Wine Is Not an Emulator

The key to success is Wine (acronym: Wine Is Not an Emulator). It is a compatibility layer that translates Windows API calls into POSIX (Linux) instructions on the fly. This allows the application to run with near-native performance, without the overhead of emulating an entire operating system. The PlayOnLinux (POL) tool described in this guide is used to easily manage so-called Wine “prefixes”—isolated containers with specific configurations.

Why this works?

AutoStakkert! is a portable app — no classic MSI installer.
Wine supports most API calls required by AS!3/AS!4.
Linux filesystems (ext4, btrfs) handle large SER/AVI files better than NTFS.

Shortened deployment Guide (Universal Method)

Since AutoStakkert! does not have a classic installer (it is a “portable” application), the process in PlayOnLinux differs slightly from the norm:

Download: Get the latest stable version (AS!3 or AS!4) as a ZIP archive.
POL Configuration: Select “Install a program,” then “Install a non-listed program.”
Virtual Drive Creation: Choose “Create a new virtual drive” (preferably 64-bit architecture to handle large SER/AVI video files).
No Installer: When POL asks for the installation file, point it to the AutoStakkert .exe. The program won’t “install” into the system registry but will be executed within the Wine directory structure.
Shortcut: Finally, create a shortcut directly to AutoStakkert.exe.

Performance and Memory

When working with massive files from planetary cameras (often 50-100 GB), Linux file systems (ext4 or btrfs) handle I/O operations significantly better than NTFS. Stacking proceeds smoothly, provided that the Wine configuration has been allocated sufficient video memory access.

Warnings

Use Wine ≥ 6.x — older versions may cause errors.
Don’t copy files into system directories — keep them inside the Wine prefix.
Test with a small SER file before processing large sessions.

Stellarium: Why Can’t I See DSOs? Configuration and DSS

PekDar — Tue, 05 May 2020 18:30:44 +0000

Stellarium configuration – Empty Markers

A common scenario after installing Stellarium is zooming in on a famous object (e.g., the Andromeda Galaxy) only to see a marker symbol against a black background or a few stars. Users often try to fix this by downloading additional “Star Catalogs” (1 through 9) in the settings. This is a fundamental error. Star catalogs only contain positional data for points of light (stars), not graphical image files of nebulae or galaxies.

In the default configuration, Stellarium displays a large number of images of known DSOs, but not all we would need. To increase the number of DSO images displayed, you need to enable an additional catlaog that will complement the displayed images, but still they will not be all visible.

As an example would be the galaxy NGC 3077, which in my version of Stellarium 0.19.3 is not displayed, although it is in the DSO database and is indicated on Stellarium sky screen.

Lets start Stellarium and go to the object search, click the magnifying glass – Search window (F3)

Enter NGC 3077 in the text search field and click the magnifying glass

As you can see in the image below, the object was found but it is not visible.

Solution 1: Atmosphere and Light Pollution Simulation

Stellarium is a realistic simulator. If you selected a city location and the “Atmosphere” is enabled on the bottom bar (shortcut A), the software will hide objects whose surface brightness is too low for the conditions.

Fix: Disable the atmosphere (key A) or increase the limiting magnitude for DSOs in the “Sky and Viewing Options” window [F4].

Solution 2: Digitized Sky Survey (DSS)

Stellarium only has built-in textures for the brightest objects (Messier catalog). To see fainter nebulae (e.g., from the NGC or IC catalogs) as they appear in photographs, you must use the Sky Survey feature.

Find the “Deep Sky Surveys” (DSS) icon in the bottom menu or enable it in the plugins.
Once activated, Stellarium downloads real photo mosaics from professional observatories (Palomar/UK Schmidt) servers.
This allows for precise framing of your astrophotography session, as you see the actual shape of the nebula, not just an arbitrary symbol.

Cache Memory

Using DSS mode requires an internet connection. Stellarium buffers these images on your disk, so over time, the “map” of your most frequently visited sky regions will become available offline.

Guiding step by step configuration

Let’s move to the settings window for the sky view. In the left menu, click Sky and viewing options windows [F4] or press the F4 key.

Click the Surveys tab, select Deep Sky from the drop-down list and then find and enable DSS colored in the list. We close the window.

Now on the sky view, NGC 3077 is already visible.

SynScan: Manually Adding Comets and Custom Objects (User Object)

PekDar — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 11:00:08 +0000

SynScan User Object – The Database is Not Enough

The object database in SynScan hand controllers (used in Sky-Watcher NEQ6, HEQ5, EQ6-R mounts) contains thousands of entries from the Messier, NGC, and IC catalogs. However, it is helpless against dynamic objects: new comets, fast-moving asteroids, or supernovae. To point the telescope at such an object without using a computer (EQMOD), we must use the User Object function and manually input equatorial coordinates.

Step 1: Obtaining Ephemerides (J2000)

Before touching the controller, you must know the object’s current position. Comets move relative to the background stars. Yesterday’s coordinates might be useless today.

Source: Use TheSkyLive or Minor Planet Center.
Format: You need Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (Dec).
Important: Ensure the coordinates are for the J2000.0 epoch (standard for SynScan), not “JNow” (Topocentric), although for wide fields the difference might be negligible, in astrophotography it matters.

Step 2: Shortened SynScan Procedure

Power up the mount and perform the standard alignment (1, 2, or 3-Star Alignment).
In the main menu, select: Object List -> User Object.
Select New Object (or edit an existing one).
Enter the coordinates:
- RA (Right Ascension): In HH:MM:SS format.
- Dec (Declination): In DD:MM:SS format. Remember to toggle the + / - sign depending on the celestial hemisphere.
Confirm and select View Object -> Slew. The mount will point to the defined position.

Technical Limitation: Tracking

By entering an object this way, the mount treats it like a fixed star. It will track it at the sidereal rate. However, comets have their own proper motion. During long exposures (over 60-120 seconds) or with comets very close to Earth, the comet’s nucleus might appear trailed on the image, even if the stars are pinpoint sharp.

Solution: This is a “point-in-time” method. If the comet is fast, you must update the coordinates in the controller every 30-60 minutes using fresh ephemeris data.

PIPP (Planetary Imaging PreProcessor): The Essential Step Before Stacking

PekDar — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 11:20:37 +0000

PIPP astrophotography – Why Not AutoStakkert! Immediately? After recording a Moon video (in SER, AVI, or other formats), many beginners skip the pre-processing step in PIPP and directly load files into AutoStakkert!. However, PIPP solves critical recording issues that significantly improve the efficiency and quality of the final stack. Problem 1: Motion and Jitter (Dynamic Tracking) During video recording, even with a perfectly aligned mount, subtle vibrations, tracking errors (PEC), and object shifts (e.g., the Moon drifting out of the center) occur. PIPP’s Role: PIPP analyzes each frame and shifts the image so that the key object (e.g., the Moon disk) remains perfectly centered (dynamic centering) and stable in the X and Y axes. Benefit for AS!: AutoStakkert! performs alignment much faster and more precisely when the target object is not moving chaotically throughout the video. Problem 2: Optimization and Conversion (Frames Optimization) Planetary cameras often record video in formats and resolutions that are not optimal for AutoStakkert! (e.g., 8-bit Y8/MONO format). Conversion: PIPP provides fast and lossless video conversion to the most preferred formats. It allows conversion from uncompressed to efficient formats, as well as converting a monochrome Y8 signal to simulated RGB. Cropping for Efficiency: PIPP allows for precise cropping of the Region of Interest (ROI). If the entire Moon disk takes up 1000×1000 pixels, but the rest of the frame is a black void, PIPP cuts out this unnecessary black area. PIPP Step-by-Step Usage of the PIPP program is relatively simple. It is recommended to follow the step rules – from left to right, going through all the tabs of the program, starting from the Source Files tab and ending with the Do Processing tab. We will go successively through the tabs, processing the Moon with an example light frames that I collected. I will focus only on those options that I need to use. It is not my goal, to describe every available option, that’s why the manual is available on the PIPP page. EXIF parameters, for my light frames you can find below. The camera with default optical configuration. Movie file: file .MOV 1,4GB, RGB Width: 1920, Height: 1080, Duration: 3min. 5 sec., bitrate: 63,5MB/s, FPS: 25 Let’s start processing with movie file. Start PIPP from software list of POL. Source Files tab Click on Add Image Files in the below area of PIPP window. In the file selection window add a movie file and click Open. After you selected the file, the program will open a new, additional window with preview frame of your movie file. The preview image can be enlarged by changing the Zoom value or by clicking the – / + buttons. The Update Image button is used to update the preview after making configuration changes on the other tabs as described below. The Save Image button will save visible image as selected file type .JPG, .PNG, .TIFF, or Windows bitmap. Go to the next tab. Input Options tab The options and functions available on this tab, will apply mainly to video files made by dedicated astrophotography cameras. In the case of DSLR cameras use, usually there is no need to change anything on this tab. Optionally, you can use the available functions: Enable Raw Image Hot Pixel Filter – will remove unwanted hot pixels if the video file has one, Input Frame Colour/Monochrome – set to Color if you know your video is colorful. Go to the next tab. Processing tab On this tab, we can already slightly improve the image visible in the preview window. In the case of my light frames, the image is inverted relative to the real one. I will use the available option to invert the image horizontally. I’m selecting the Flip Horizontally option. In addition, during my camera recording video file, it orientated the image of the moon in horizontal instead of vertical position, so I have to rotate the image in 90° clockwise degree. So, I need to click on the drop-down list in the Flip And Rotate area and choose the Rotate 90 Degrees Clockwise option and then on the Test Options button to see the final effect of the changes. Preview changes below. Go to the next tab. Quality tab None of the options available on this tab will be used with my movie file. Go to the next tab. Animation tab Leave the available options in the default configuration. Output tab The purpose of processing a video file, is to divide it into individual frames that will be stacked later in dedicated software. The best type of photo file saving available in PIPP is .FITS in my opinion and we also choose it. I don’t want the resulting files to have suffix pipp_ attached at the end of their name, so I delete the entry in the Output Filename Suffix field. I want the resulting image files to have a prefix called pipp_ before the name and I entered this prefix in the text field Output Filename Prefix. Go to the next tab. Do Processing tab Click the Start Processing button and wait. Depending on the number of movie frames, processing may take some time. In my case, it took less than 4 minutes to process the video file containing 4637 frames. So, was pretty fast. Now you can proceed, to stacking light frame files in the program, e.g. AutoStakkert, RegiStax6 or Siril. Conclusion: PIPP does not improve sharpness but stabilizes, normalizes, and optimizes the data. This makes it the gatekeeper, ensuring AutoStakkert! receives the best, cleanest, and most organized material for the actual stacking process. Links PIPP main page: https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/home Download page: https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/downloads Description about installation process with Linux system, but it’s much different from here: https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/downloads/installing-pipp-on-linux-with-wine Description about installation process with macOS system: https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/downloads/installing-pipp-on-macos-with-winebottler PIPP Manual: https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/pipp-manual PlayOnLinux: https://www.playonlinux.com/pl/

Stellarium: Adding New Comets and Asteroids

PekDar — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 11:51:51 +0000

Stellarium – Beyond the Standard Catalog

The Solar System database in Stellarium is updated regularly, but new comets appear faster than official data packages. To plan a photography session for an object that has “just arrived,” you must use the Solar System Editor plugin.

The Mechanism: Orbital Elements (MPC)

Stellarium does not store images of comets but rather their orbital elements (including perihelion, eccentricity, inclination). Based on these, the software engine calculates the object’s current position in the sky for your specific location. The most reliable source for this data is the Minor Planet Center (MPC).

Shortened Step-by-Step Instructions

Activate the Plugin: Go to “Configuration Window” [F2] -> “Plugins” -> “Solar System Editor”. Ensure “Load at startup” is checked and restart the program.
Import Data: In the plugin settings, select the “Solar System” tab and click “Import orbital elements in MPC format”.
Select Object Type: Choose “Comets” or “Asteroids.”
Online Source: Select an MPC server from the list (e.g., MPC’s list of observable comets). The program will connect to the web and download the list.
Search: Type the comet’s name (e.g., “C/2023 A3”). Once it appears, check it and click “Add objects”.

Why is this better than manual entry?

Manual entry of orbital elements is prone to formatting errors, leading to incorrect position calculations. Automatic import from the MPC ensures that parameters are up-to-date, which is crucial as comet orbits undergo subtle changes due to planetary gravity.