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Astronomical Imaging Simulator

Equipment Optics How-to
4 replies•171 views
Paolo Sirtoli avatar
Paolo Sirtoli avatar
Hi all

Every photographer knows very well the exposure triangle: shutter speed, aperture and ISO, but in astronomy usually only aperture and focal ratio are considered.
So I would like to share a webpage I wrote to illustrate the basic triad of astrophotography: telescope aperture, focal ratio *and* image resolution.
Three sliders allow the user to adjust those settings and get the resulting picture.
https://paolo.sirtoli.it/astrophoto.html

The page has been adapted from Tim Andersen's exposure simulator (with the author's permission).

Comments and criticism are welcome

Paolo
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Jean-David Gadina avatar
Jean-David Gadina avatar
Thanks, a mobile compatible version would be nice. The sliders are not usable, at least on iOS.

i’ll give it a try on a desktop computer.
patrice_so avatar
patrice_so avatar
Hi, 

It's nice. 

Wouldn't the gain setting be the equivalent of the ISO setting in Tim's tool ?  Besides, it might be nice to keep the preview size constant but mofify the image resolution when the pixel size slider is used. 

CS

Patrice
Paolo Sirtoli avatar
Paolo Sirtoli avatar
Jean-David Gadina:
Thanks, a mobile compatible version would be nice. The sliders are not usable, at least on iOS.

i’ll give it a try on a desktop computer.

Tried on iOS: actually, if you tap directly on the desired position, you'll make the slider move there but, yes, it's far more comfortable on a desktop PC
Paolo Sirtoli avatar
Paolo Sirtoli avatar
patrice_so:
Hi, 

It's nice. 

Wouldn't the gain setting be the equivalent of the ISO setting in Tim's tool ?  Besides, it might be nice to keep the preview size constant but mofify the image resolution when the pixel size slider is used. 

CS

Patrice

Hi, I wouldn't consider the gain as an actual variable for imaging: most of us keep it at the minimum value to have the least read noise and best dynamic range.
OK, thanks for the suggestion, yet the effect is not as noticeable as I would desire for didactical purpose
Bye
P