astap program / Forum / Announcements ASTAP: New D50 star database designed for navigation (solving) only

han.k - 2023-03-14

Within a few days a new star database called D50 will be released. Instead of a magnitude limit there will be a star density limit of about 5000 stars per square degree. This should guarantee that in the star poorest areas there will be sufficient stars for navigation (solving) available but it keeps the database size moderate in star rich areas. If required stars up to magnitude 21 will be available for navigation (solving).

This will be beneficial for setups with a small field-of view. There should always be enough database stars available for navigation in the sky.

Format will be compatible with the H18. Size about 1 gbyte.

Han

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han.k - 2023-03-19

The new star databases D05, D20 and D50 are now released. This sketch indicates the usability:

http://www.hnsky.org/astap_database_range3.png

These new databases are all smaller and sorted on star density and not on magnitude. The databases are constructed to have a constant star density per square degrees sky. For navigation (solving) there is no need to fill the database with numerous stars when there are sufficient brighter stars available. But in sky areas where there not many stars the new database goes deeper then the older H18. It goes down to magnitude 21 if required.

D50 stand for a database with a star density up to 5000 stars per square degree. Size is about 873 mbytes.

D20 stand for a database with a star density up to 2000 stars per square degree. Size is about 400 mbytes.

D05 stand for a database with a star density up to 500 stars per square degree.Size is about 102 mbytes.

The new D50 will be beneficial for setups with a small field-of-view. So when your image with a focal length of maybe 2 meters or a field-of-view of 0.3 or 0.2 degrees. The databases are just released so any feedback is appreciated. Especially if your working at the field-of-view limit of the database. These limits are not hard. Outside the limit the reliability goes down.

The V17 database will also be replaced in the next days. There will be one new database for the field-of-view range between 10 and 20 degrees and a Johnson-V magnitude version of the D50 for photometry I will call V50. Normally the databases contain the Gaia Bp (blue) magnitude which covers roughly the visual spectrum. For photometry is is better to have the calculated Johnson-V magnitude.

For creating each of these databases my computer has to work a few days. You could argue are the D05 and D20 really required and can't you use the D50 for all applications?. But a small size database could be handy. As an experiment I have also created a D80 but I don't think there are setups imaging consistently with a field-of-view of something like 0.1x0.1 degree.

Han

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johnpd2 - 2023-03-19

SharpCap does not recognize the new databases and there is no uninstall entry for it.

EDIT: There are an uninstall .EXE and .DAT files in the ASTAP folder for the D50 database, but it not being recognized in the Programs and Features list in Windows.

JohnD

Last edit: johnpd2 2023-03-19

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Jim Hunt - 2023-03-19

Hi Han,

I've just tried the latest ASTAP version and the D50 dB.

Both seem to work well and certainly very fast. A typical solve is taking about 0.8s.

What is interesting is if I use the ASTAP UI and load a .fits sub, it takes the UI about 12s to displsy the sub. A .png file takes about 5s. If I do an ASTAP based solve from APT it runs ASTAP and returns the solve in 1s. So the UI seems to be taking a long time to load and display the sub. is this what you would expect?

Cheers, Jim

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han.k - 2023-03-19

Hi John,

Thanks for the feedback.I will have look to SharpCap tomorrow. The older H18 datbase is still available under section development version.

When two database are installed there should be two uninstall programs. Are you running Win10 orWin11? I will check the uninstaller. It i possible to use a newer installer but then it will not be compatible with XP but that is now very obsolete.

Hi Jim,

For displaying it writes the FITS data to a stretchable Timage which is then displayed. Maybe the new version of the compiler is slower. Isthen displaying slower then usingan older version from maybe 6 months ago? Older versions are available at SourceForge:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/astap-program/files/windows_installer/older%20versions/

Tomorrow I can have a look myself. First I want to finish the other databases.

Han

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- johnpd2 - 2023-03-20
  
  Never mind. I did not realize that you had to install the latest .EXE for the new databases to be recognized. It does not explicitly say that on the download page. The version I was using was downloaded and installed just a few days before you switched to the new databases.
  
  The uninstall program for the "D" database is in the ASTAP "Programs Files" folder, Actually when I had both databases installed, there were three uninstall .EXE;s there, one for the program and one for each database set. But there is nothing showing in the "Programs and Features" or in the Start menu apps list to execute the "D" database uninstall. I assume a registry entry has to be created. I am using Windows 10 v22H2.
  
  JohnD
  
  Last edit: johnpd2 2023-03-20
  
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  - han.k - 2023-03-20
    
    Hi John,
    
    The D50 could have been selected manually in the ASTAP tab alignment. Default that is in auto. The old version doesn't know the D50 exist so it only work in manual selection.
    
    You have a point. If you try to remove the stars database via Windows setting it is indicated as 2023-03-15. See attached. I will correct that and give it a name in that field. It used to be the version field but it seems changed.
    
    Han
    
    Untitled.png
    
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Jim Hunt - 2023-03-19

Hi Han,

It's not a problem. I just thought you might be interested.

I don't remember the older versions taking that long, but I haven't verified that.

Cheers, Jim

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han.k - 2023-03-19

Jim,

I had a quick look to older versions. An 110 mbyte image from an ASI6200 takes here about 6 or7 seconds to load. Both the new and older versions. It was stored on a harddisk which probably contributes to the delay. A PNG is more compact. An 32 bit version took about 10seconds.

The solve time starts after the loading. Binning in APT could speed up the process.

I will keep an eye on it but I don't expect there is much to gain.

Han

Last edit: han.k 2023-03-19

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Jim Hunt - 2023-03-19

Hi Han,

Ah yes, I had forgotten about the APT binning.

Thanks for investigating.

Cheers, Jim 🙂

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Geof Lewis - 2023-03-20

Hi,
I'm trying to get ASTAP working, but it is not very clear to me what I need to download to get the star databases. I note that there are three levels of databases and probably initially I just need the D20, but when I look at the files to download there are four options (.deb; .pkg; .exe; and .zip) so do I need all of them or which? Also will they automatically install in the correct location, or do I have to manually move them?
Many thanks, Geof
PS I plan to use NINA if that's relevant

Last edit: Geof Lewis 2023-03-20

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Jim Hunt - 2023-03-20

Hi Geoff,

Assuming you are running Windows, then you need
"Window 64 bit Program (v2023.03.17)" (the topmost entry in the table)

Also, unless disk space is really an issue for you, I would recommend the "D50" database.

Cheers, Jim

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- Geof Lewis - 2023-03-20
  
  Thanks Jim,
  I'll probably end up with the D50, but the images that I'll be capturing with my portable rig that I'm currently configuring are pretty wide FOV, so D20 should be good enough for now.
  Cheers, Geof
  
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han.k - 2023-03-20

Hi Geoff, Jim,

The ,exe files are star database installer are for Windows. The other extensions are for Mac and Linux. It is maybe a little clearer when you access via the front webpage:

http://www.hnsky.org/astap.htm

but I will update this page to make it clearer. As Jim said the D50_star_database.exe will work for all setups.

Han

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- Geof Lewis - 2023-03-20
  
  Hi Han,
  That worked, much appreciated, though my AV didn't want me to download the .exe so I had to push it through. I've now got ASTAP solving some old CR2 image files natively and via NINA, so definitely made some good progress today.
  Many thanks, Geof
  
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Jerry Yeager - 2023-03-21

Hello.

I am mostly successful using the new ASTAP version, but I ran into a couple of problems with new databases. I am using this on a mac mini (Intel) and a macbook pro (Intel).

Installing: If I install the d05 database and then install the d50 database, the installation removes the d05 installation. Similarly, if I have the d50 database installed, installing the d05 database removes the d50 database.

Using: The d20 database will install and is acknowledged by the astap program, but when I try to use it for searching, it gives the error that no database is located at the usr/local/opt/astap/ location and that I should install one of the H18, H17, etc. databases.

i suppose I could get around the d50-d05 installation issue by installing one of them into a temporay folder and then moving it into place after installing the other, but I am not sure if both are supposed to be active at the same time? Any ideas?

Thank you for your time.

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han.k - 2023-03-21

Hello Jerry,

Thanks for the feedback. These are unexpected effects. Maybe I used the same installation name twice. Just install the D50, That should cover all field-of-view ranges.

Note only one database is required.

I will fix it tomorrow. You could install an older ASTAP from Sourceforge.

Also the older databases are still available but you should still have them on your system,

Older ASTAP:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/astap-program/files/macOS%20installer/older/

Han

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- Jerry Yeager - 2023-03-22
  
  Thanks for such quick follow-up. The d50 and v17 databases are working very well.
  
  Locally, it is going to be raining at night for about a week, so there is no need to rush, I thought you would want to know about the oddities.
  
  Thank you again for your hard work.
  
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han.k - 2023-03-22

Hi Jerry,

I can't find a problem here. Anyhow, I made a small update resulting in version 2022-03-22. This should work.

Note the V17 is now replaced by the V50. You can keep on working with the V17 or do everything solving & photometry with the V50. There is not an automatic way to delete the older databases.
You can remove older databases as follows:
Press in finder Command+Shift+G and go to /usr/local/opt/astap and select the old files and move them to Bin.

Han

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- Jerry Yeager - 2023-03-22
  
  The new version along with the V50 database is working just fine on current & older images, I will wait until the weather is better to try it outdoors. Thanks for your efforts.
  
  I was too lazy to use the finder to remove the older databases, I figured using Terminal with cd /usr/local/opt/astap followed by sudo rm -f v17* would make sure I got everything in the older v17 database.
  
  Thanks again.
  
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achim2205 - 2023-03-23

Hello Han, the new V50 database isn't accepted by ASTAP version March 22, neither for solving nor for magnitudes.
Regards Achim

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han.k - 2023-03-23

Hi Achim,

This has to be fixed.

I just checked again the Windows version. If the database selection is in Auto, it will select the V50 for solving and photometry.

Have you tried the database selection in tab "alignment" in Auto or V50?

Can you check under help if you got the correct version 2023-03-22 installer ?

Are you running Linux or Windows?

Regards, Han
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achim2205 - 2023-03-23

Hello Han,
for which reason ever, it was still the old version from March 16 (?!), now it works in 'Auto' and 'V50'. I'm running Win 11 64 bit.
Thanks, Achim

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han.k - 2023-03-23

Yesterday I changed on the web the version to 2023-3-22 but uploaded the program a few hours later by mistake. That could be the cause.

p.s. Do you have any colour filters or are you using a colour camera for photometry?

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achim2205 - 2023-03-23

I'm doing remote astronomy with B/W-cameras spread worldwide having Johnson B and V and Cousins R-filters (and also the standard L, Ha, S2, OIII ... filters)

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New D50 star database designed for navigation (solving) only

Stacking program, astrometric (plate) solver, fits file viewer

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New D50 star database designed for navigation (solving) only

New D50 star database designed for navigation (solving) only

Stacking program, astrometric (plate) solver, fits file viewer

Forums

Help

New D50 star database designed for navigation (solving) only document.SUBSCRIPTION_OPTIONS = { "thing": "topic", "subscribed": false, "url": "subscribe", "icon": { "css": "fa fa-envelope-o" } };

New D50 star database designed for navigation (solving) only