This is so cool James! I need to get me one of these. I don't have many issues with my horizon, but I think it's great for seeing the clouds and weather patterns. I figure I'll mount it on one of the outside corners of the obsy and maybe even use it for closing my roof if it detects clouds.
Not a bad purchase at $149. ZWO still shows the lens in the "what's in the box" photo, but you might want to confirm with them that they are still including it.
Thanks for watching, Logan! Yeah, this worked pretty well, especially since I wasn’t really trying to measure the horizon- - just wanted to see if the mini PC would “work” all night.
Would have worked much better without those darn clouds. Of course, if there were no clouds, I wouldn't have been doing this in the first place. Thanks for watching, Amy!
Thanks, John! I need to give it another go with few clouds. I missed quite a few faint but useful star crossings. Even so, the data I did get is probably good enough.
I was inspired by your technique, and found another way to document the ALT of various locations around my horizon which is a 2-story building to the east, a bunch of tall trees to the west and view of neighboring buildings to the north and south - pretty limited. I used the Sky Safari App on my phone in AR mode where it overlays the skies on the actual scene (buildings, trees, etc.). I took pictures of the display which prominent features labeled. I can then find a star near a point of obstruction and find its location at the time the picture was taken. I doubt if it is as precise as your method, but it is "a" method. I appreciate your thoughts on it. I started by using a Theodolite App on my phone and the results were unreliable for some reason. My target rose much later than the horizon on NINA was showing. Interestingly the results are very much the same with the new technique. I am still trying to figure out what the issue is. The only thing that has any effect on the observed ALT AZ at any given discrete time is the observer's position on earth and my coordinates are consistent across all the Apps that I use.
Yes. It sounds like the AR/iPad approach could work well. As you say, the all-sky method is pretty accurate. More time consuming maybe, but it's a one-and-done task unless you move your imaging location. I've be very happy with the all-sky horizon. I, too, tried a theodolite app (Dioptra) to map the horizon initially. Not very accurate. I then used a 250mm guide scope and slewed the mount to various horizon points. Ok. But hard to move an EQ scope in predictable ways. In the end the all-sky is pretty simple. I use the all-sky cam on my scope as I'm imaging as a "cloud cam". I could update the horizon with that data, but the current horizon is good enough.
interesting, i got the 224 mc and i couldnt find out how long to exposure and how i let sharpcarp shoot a frame after 10 sec. But thanks to you i know it know. When meteors are back i am gone try
Thanks for the video. I am trying to do something similar but through NINA. I have the same camera mounted on my scope and while the camera is connected and able to capture, it seems to be not coming into focus. Is this camera only able to image in the dark? What were your settings?
The camera/lens should work in daylight just fine. Did you turn the lens? That's how you focus with this lens. For image settings, I think I show those in the video.
I discovered the issue was that for some reason I had a filter ring attached to the main retainer and it was pushing the lens out by about 8mm. After I removed that spacer/ring everything worked fine.
How do you lower the horizon? I have done something familiar but I have the correct GPS location and height where I live installed in stellarium settings but it doesn't match the stars at all irl.
Not sure what you mean about lowering the horizon, Daniel. If you have a text table of pairs of azimuth, altitude pairs you use for your user-defined horizon, then just reduce the altitude numbers so the stars match. Let me know if I missed the point of your question. I'm sure I did!
No. It's a ZWO ASI120MC-S. ZWO includes the fish-eye lens with the ASI120MM-S and ASI120MC-S cameras. The lens has an M42 thread that screws into those camera bodies.
This is so cool James! I need to get me one of these. I don't have many issues with my horizon, but I think it's great for seeing the clouds and weather patterns. I figure I'll mount it on one of the outside corners of the obsy and maybe even use it for closing my roof if it detects clouds.
Not a bad purchase at $149. ZWO still shows the lens in the "what's in the box" photo, but you might want to confirm with them that they are still including it.
Great video James!
Easy then to edit the text file and replace the old one!
Have a Happy New Year!
That's the idea. In with the new, out with the old. Thanks for watching!
This must be great as part of a optical drone detection system.
Such a great exercise to really nail down your viewable area especially when setting up imaging sessions
Thanks for watching, Logan! Yeah, this worked pretty well, especially since I wasn’t really trying to measure the horizon- - just wanted to see if the mini PC would “work” all night.
Very effective James! Thank you for sharing.
Would have worked better without all those darn clouds, Haha! Thanks for watching, Andy!
Great video! I enjoyed watching the process. 👽
Would have worked much better without those darn clouds. Of course, if there were no clouds, I wouldn't have been doing this in the first place. Thanks for watching, Amy!
Very good advice, excellent ...thank you
Thanks, John! I need to give it another go with few clouds. I missed quite a few faint but useful star crossings. Even so, the data I did get is probably good enough.
I was inspired by your technique, and found another way to document the ALT of various locations around my horizon which is a 2-story building to the east, a bunch of tall trees to the west and view of neighboring buildings to the north and south - pretty limited. I used the Sky Safari App on my phone in AR mode where it overlays the skies on the actual scene (buildings, trees, etc.). I took pictures of the display which prominent features labeled. I can then find a star near a point of obstruction and find its location at the time the picture was taken. I doubt if it is as precise as your method, but it is "a" method.
I appreciate your thoughts on it.
I started by using a Theodolite App on my phone and the results were unreliable for some reason. My target rose much later than the horizon on NINA was showing. Interestingly the results are very much the same with the new technique. I am still trying to figure out what the issue is. The only thing that has any effect on the observed ALT AZ at any given discrete time is the observer's position on earth and my coordinates are consistent across all the Apps that I use.
Yes. It sounds like the AR/iPad approach could work well. As you say, the all-sky method is pretty accurate. More time consuming maybe, but it's a one-and-done task unless you move your imaging location. I've be very happy with the all-sky horizon. I, too, tried a theodolite app (Dioptra) to map the horizon initially. Not very accurate. I then used a 250mm guide scope and slewed the mount to various horizon points. Ok. But hard to move an EQ scope in predictable ways. In the end the all-sky is pretty simple. I use the all-sky cam on my scope as I'm imaging as a "cloud cam". I could update the horizon with that data, but the current horizon is good enough.
interesting, i got the 224 mc and i couldnt find out how long to exposure and how i let sharpcarp shoot a frame after 10 sec. But thanks to you i know it know. When meteors are back i am gone try
A meteor shower would look cool as a video. Good luck!
My 120mm did not come with that lense. Any suggestions on a lense that would work with that camera?
If it's a 120MM mini, then it won't come with that camera. ZWO shows the lens in the "What's in the Box" photo for the ASI120MM-S and ASI120MC-S.
Thanks for the video. I am trying to do something similar but through NINA. I have the same camera mounted on my scope and while the camera is connected and able to capture, it seems to be not coming into focus. Is this camera only able to image in the dark? What were your settings?
The camera/lens should work in daylight just fine. Did you turn the lens? That's how you focus with this lens. For image settings, I think I show those in the video.
I discovered the issue was that for some reason I had a filter ring attached to the main retainer and it was pushing the lens out by about 8mm. After I removed that spacer/ring everything worked fine.
Ahhh. Good.
How do you lower the horizon? I have done something familiar but I have the correct GPS location and height where I live installed in stellarium settings but it doesn't match the stars at all irl.
Not sure what you mean about lowering the horizon, Daniel. If you have a text table of pairs of azimuth, altitude pairs you use for your user-defined horizon, then just reduce the altitude numbers so the stars match. Let me know if I missed the point of your question. I'm sure I did!
is you all-sky camera a modified zwo mini camera? looks like one with a just a fishe eye lens screwed onto it. EDIT/ reading ftw ... nvm
No. It's a ZWO ASI120MC-S. ZWO includes the fish-eye lens with the ASI120MM-S and ASI120MC-S cameras. The lens has an M42 thread that screws into those camera bodies.