Cannot Solve With ASTAP on NINA

[Farzad]

Hi,
Maybe this is general discussion - I am not seeing where support can be provided.

I am trying out NINA. I have a FITS file that ASTAP solves in 0.5 seconds outside of NINA. In NINA I am simulating a camera that matches the properties of the image and when I attempt to plate solve in NINA I get that little window (see attached) and eventually solve fails. In the window I see a 2x2, which I assume is binning, and then an image size, which I assume should be half of the value shown because the value shown is the actual sensor size.

What is this information telling me and why would ASTAP fail solving?

The simulated camera only has a 1x1 binning, by the way.

Thanks in advance.

Farzad

[han.k]

the bin 2x2 is done automatically in astap and is correct.
does the position match roughly?
is the image height 0.5... correctly?
are you seeing 30 stars or more on the image?

if those answers are yes then it could be the image quality.

you could upload it to nova.astrometry.net and give me the link for a better judgement

cheers, han

[Farzad]

Han, thanks for the quick reply.

Here is the link https://nova.astrometry.net/status/4130800to the solved
information.

The problem is actually that NINA's interface is a bit unclear to me, and
that I am doing something that is a bit strange.

I have chosen that image which is captured at 1x1 binning to practice
placate solving with NINA. I can make NINA think it is actually capturing
this image in real-time, so that I can simulate imaging activity. I don't
know where ASTAP gets the 2x2 from and where it gets the sensor (image)
pixel size from in NINA. If it takes it from image it will then be 1x1 and
the sensor size that I was showing you because it is in the image header. I
don't understand why it says 2x2 and then shows full sensor size.

[image: image.png]

[han.k]

Hello Farzad,

• The image quality is good.
• The image height is correct.
• The initial position is far off. The yellow window of ASTAP indicates it is searching at RA=16,.3 and DEC= 98.4 degrees. Astrometry.net is reporting the image position at RA 21h 35m and DEC +57° 31'. So you telescope is is 5 hours in RA and 40 degrees in DEC wrong. So ASTAP will most likely solve it if you give it time and more range then the current 30 degrees. If you set the range at 100 degrees it will solve it. It is possible that the mount will refuse to accept such a big jump but you can try it.

So you could increase the search range in Nina from 30 to 100 degrees and wait a little longer (few minutes).

Better is to have the telescope position roughly correct from the start. For my HEQ5 mount , I unlock it and push it by hand to the celestial north/Polaris. Lock it mechanical and switch on the mount power and then it will be roughly correct. Other users park it at a defined position.

The binning is decided by ASTAP. If you feed it with your image, ASTAP decides to bin it 2x2. That is the correct action.

Clear skies, Han

[Farzad]

Thanks a lot. I have slewed the simulated mount to position and plate solve
takes place as expected.

Farzad

On Mon, Jan 4, 2021 at 12:58 AM han.k han59@users.sourceforge.net wrote:

Hello Farzad,

• The image quality is good.
• The image height is correct.
• The initial position is far off. The yellow window of ASTAP indicates it
  is searching at RA=16,.3 and DEC= 98.4 degrees. Astrometry.net is
  reporting the image position at RA 21h 35m and DEC +57° 31'. So you
  telescope is is 5 hours in RA and 40 degrees in DEC wrong. So ASTAP will
  most likely solve it if you give it time and more range then the current 30
  degrees. If you set the range at 100 degrees it will solve it. It is
  possible that the mount will refuse to accept such a big jump but you can
  try it.

So you could increase the search range in Nina from 30 to 100 degrees and
wait a little longer (few minutes).

Better is to have the telescope position roughly correct from the start.
For my HEQ5 mount , I unlock it and push it by hand to the celestial
north/Polaris. Lock it mechanical and switch on the mount power and then
it will be roughly correct. Other users park it at a defined position.

The binning is decided by ASTAP. If you feed it with your image, ASTAP
decides to bin it 2x2. That is the correct action.

Clear skies, Han

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Cannot Solve With ASTAP on NINA

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