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Quick Astrometry on iPad ?

DSLR Acquisition Plate Solving Deep Sky
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Jérémie avatar
Jérémie avatar
Hi All,

I usually don’t spend time « aligning » my mount after polar alignment (and the iOptron doesn’t have this kind of features). I always aim my targets using the ASIAIR Pro astrometry feature through the iPad, together with Stellarium (to get the coordinates of my target).

Problem is : if I want to use my Canon EOS Ra, that is not (yet) compatible with the ASIAIR Pro, I can’t use that feature, though my iPad can connect the DSLR through Canon Connect app.

I could use Astrometry.net, but it takes time and require internet connexion, or I could use All Sky Plate Solver on a computer, but I want to stay light (I know, I overcomplicate things :-)

Does anyone have an app that does quick astrometry on iPad ? I have unsuccessful looking for that on Google. 

Thanks for the tips !
Engaging
Steven avatar
Steven avatar
Hey, tried to think of work-arounds.. I'm also using the ASIair Pro, and do all the plate solving through that to line things up.
I've had a look, and it's hard to say when the EOS Ra will be supported. (kinda weird that it isn't?)

I've looked at your images, on some you list a guide scope and guide camera?

what about…..
- temporarily setting the guide camera as your main imaging camera in the app?  
- Making sure the guide camera and EOS Ra are exactly lined up and pointing at the same thing.
- Take an image with the guide camera, and use that to do plate solve. And get the coordinates that way.
- Use those coordinates to line things up.
- once you're pointed at the right thing, switch the guide camera back to being the guide camera. And start imaging. 

it takes a little switching, it might not be 100% accurate.. but hopefully accurate enough to get where you want to be?
Helpful Supportive
Jérémie avatar
Jérémie avatar
Thanks @Steven de Vet ! By the way, your name reminded something, until I found out I follow you on instagram I really like your posts there : you really should post more here on Astrobin, you do amazing work !

Indeed, your suggestion makes totally sense !

I use an OAG on my RC8, and thought about "using" it to plate solve : didn't try and I doubt it would work. But I didn't think to put my second guiding cam on my small guidescope.

Instead of aligning the scopes, I could also platesolve both once and calculate the "offset" between my small guidescope and the RC8.

That being said, in both cases, precision might be a bit off between a 120mm FL on the guidscope and 1600mm of RC8... hopping as well that the precision of the platesolve on a 4,1arcsec/pixel system won't be superior to the field of view of the RC8, that will work around 0,44arcsec/pixel

Anyway, that's a good direction. I could also mount my 71/347 on the RC8, the iOptron could support that.

I also have to find out if at least the ASIAIR can just "bulb" my EOS Ra : maybe I cannot connect it using USB to have full control + liveview connection (not even sure if that works like that on the Canon it is compatible with ?), but maybe I can synchronize my EOS Ra with the dithering of the mount. That was another issue I didn't spot in my first message...

Lots of tests to do. Otherwise I will just be patient and put my laptop outside at night like I was doing before buying the ASIAIR...
GalacticRAVE avatar
GalacticRAVE avatar
The asiair beta 1.6 supports the Canon EOS Ra. Tried it Tuesday night, worked pretty well!
Jérémie avatar
Jérémie avatar
The asiair beta 1.6 supports the Canon EOS Ra. Tried it Tuesday night, worked pretty well!


Alléluia !!