PRISM | Hyperion Astronomy

keving

Hi there

I cannot see the FITS keyword OBJECT set in my files... I would expect this to be copied from the 'Generic name' box in the camera panel. Maybe I am missing something obvious ?

Kevin

keving

Hi there I have had similar issues with some target finding but have learned to work round them... so in the example given, Simbad shows it has a Tycho cataloge entry of TYC 5396-1135-1. I know that Prism has a Tycho catalougue, and I have previously managed to work out that Prism identifies Tycho e...

keving

Hi there I also do slit spectroscopy and use 'Advanced guiding' in Prism with a specific set point. The green cross hairs show your chosen set point, which should be estimated by holding the cursor over the star when its on the slit (as observed in your guide cam via a looped preview). The coordinat...

keving

The entries I add to the observatory database are lost after update To be frank, I'm not sure how useful it is to have an enormous list of observatory sites these days, given we can find our exact coordinates in a minute using Google maps or similar... I think a blank list (or a placeholder with one...

keving

I had probably forgotten I was part of this group... I did an update when prompted yesterday, and it installed OK. But presumably this is still a beta version (it says so in the banner).
Can I install the stable release by just going the website?

Kevin

keving

I am unable to install the latest version because of errors about the incorrect .enu file... I then follow the instructions in this forum section about reverting to the previous installation, and I can then run Prism. However, I get a message telling me 'This beta version has expired... Please ask a...

keving

I think it would be useful to have (at least) 16bit resolution here. However, I have discovered that the 64-bit version of Prism does indeed display at higher res. So, given the 32 bit version is nominally directed at 'field work' (attaching kit etc) then maybe its not as big a problem as I first th...

keving

The advertised feature here is that it will hide 'duplicates' of the same star from different catalogues. However, this doesnt seem to be working.... HD and BSC dont resolve, for example...(probably others too)

Kevin

keving

Re: guiding. Is it possible to have an option to show the entire filed of view of the guide camera instead of just the region of interest around the guide star? This would be useful, for instance, in guiding in spectroscopy if you arent using slit guiding (which doesnt seem as robust...) Thanks Kevin

keving

Does anyone know how the slit-guiding algorithm works? I am trying to find the best method for guiding in spectroscopy with a slit (not fibre). I have used slit-guiding reasonably successfully with bright stars (mag 3-6) and a high resolution instrument (Lhires III), but have now returned to using m...

keving

Ok - I can report the script was debugged in the field .... and works...

(Still curious to know how the 'move vector' thing works though )

keving

Hi I am using Prism with a LhiresIII (another spectroscope from Shelyak) but I also have an Alpy (although last time I used it I wasnt using Prism...) I am also happy to help, but, as Cyril said, it might help us if you can give a specific question... I assume you have been through all the Alpy tuto...

keving

Hi Hamza Yes - I am interacting with an open (guide cam) image and yes - selectimg works! My script works in simulation - awaiting field trials.... I am tryng to partially automate star positioning on a spectrograph slit... I had though the 'move by vector' (context menu item in an image) might work...

keving

This function is documented but appears illegal (I get an error message on trying to invoke it)
??

Kevin

keving

I am reasonably sure that usng the 16-bit format means you have 15-bits of resolution, so this is a bad idea.. My method now for integrating with PI is (i) Set the floating point upper range to 65535 in the FITS format dialogue (in format viewer) (ii) Import the files into the batchformatconverstion...

keving

Having done some further investigation, I am pretty sure the 16-bit integer format stores with 15-bit resolution

keving

Having run into some issues with data formats, I revisited this recently. My camera (an Atik 460EX) delivers 16-bit output, presuambly rendered as 0 to 65535. However, I see the integer format in Prism is 16-bit signed Does this mean I can only represent pixels from 0 to 32767? Do I lose 1-bit of ac...

keving

I have been having similar problems with bias frames captured in Prism and used in PI.. I have tracked this down to an inconsitency of data formats and the way PI reads floating point. First, your Prism bias appears to have been taken with the 32-bit float option in software settings (under camera t...

keving

Is this a new feature?
I was trying to use it recently to finesses focussing in slit spectroscopy. What it seems to do is to bin the selected region vertically and produce a plot of the result.
Is this correct?

thanks

Kevin

keving

Also, in a real session, the text mask seems to remain in the same position irrespective of pier side - great!

Kevin

keving

In simulation, the overlay grid seems well-behaved (with a simple line pair or a maks). There is no flipping or mirroring of the grid centre when the scope moves across the meridian. I would like ot see if others have seen this behaviour (with a real scope or in simulation)

Kevin

keving

Many thanks Olivier I see you can use overlay masks in two ways (i) directly from the right-mouse context (it's the last item on themenu) or... (ii) As an option in the Software setting/camera recording menu In (i) the mask is not persistent, so no use for setting star position (in a continuous loop...

keving

I am having trouble using the 'overlay grid' to mark the position of the slit in spectroscopy. I see that, depending on which side of the meridian I am on, it flips the coordinates of the grid centre point - I dont actually find this helpful!. But asssuming this is an intended behaviour, I was wonde...

keving

So, inspired by the video tutorial, I managed to get 'Automated observation' working a couple of days ago! The main things that took a while were the auto-meridian flip and changing the guiding sense as you cross the meridian after calibration. For the latter, I guess its mount dependent to some ext...

keving

I think this one is still unresolved...

It is simply that, when displayed, images only seem to have 256 grey levels. They clearlry have more availiable as witnessed in the screen grabs in my ealrlier post from Pixinsight..
is there is a setting for increasing the screen resultion to at least 16bit?

keving

So, summarising a more detailed post from elsewhere...
The direct focus only works when used from the 'Automated observation' section - it does not work when used from the Obervatory/focus menu..

keving

Possibly a bit niche, but spectroscopy would be nice.. I see a whole slew of acquisition and processing options available. I have experimented with acqiusition and like the slit guiding, but not sure if I am using it correctly... I have not dabbled with the spectroscopy processing suite yet many tha...

keving

Hi Hamza Great video! (I watched it all :) First a trivial thing... I see the focus settings for autofocus are in focus-drive steps rather than the more usual millimetres. I have come to enjoy seeing things in real physical dimensions elsewhere in Prism; is it possible to bring this one into line wi...

keving

Hi there No - I hadn't and that is a handy tip.. I now have a more sensible histogram as default for 'stellar image' However, I think the problem is still there ... The image I am considering is a 32-bit float, (I had erroneously selected 'save as 16-bit' for the first couple of sessions, but that i...

keving

[From other thread too]

Yes - I have seee this too...looks like rendering is in 8-bit while underlying data is possibly much more finely resolved. Would be nice to be able to render all the way up to 24 bit..

thanks

Kevin

keving

I have noticed this too... Maybe subject for another thread? But while I'm here...I see Prism renders in only 8-bit resolution. This is not the resolution of the underlying image, but I can't see why you can't opt to render at the native scale? Maybe you can and there is a setting somewhere? Back to...

keving

"And if you try to bin 2x2 ? Also may be pointing accuracy is not very good also ... and center coordinates are too far way from expected position." This would only make a difference (surely?) if we *couldnt* plate solve the *exact same* image using the menu options in Prism (see screenshots supplie...

keving

The image in my screenshot was the very same one taken by the direct focus. As you can see, it’s been solved using the prism analysis tools. Further the solve was very easy ( almost immediate) but the focus routine gave up immediately. My guess is that the focus routine is not being passed the image...

keving

So I now have some evidence of my experience with this... Here is the snapshot taken by Direct focus after slewing to its auto-detected star... failed_direct_focus.jpg [I have stretched the fits file and saved as jpg as the former is over 20MB...] I get the message about failure to solve almost imme...

keving

I noticed similar things recently where my kit wouldnt connect... but I dont think this was Prism-related. I think there may have been a Windows 'update' recently which never helps.. I find that disconnecting the failed device often cures it (in device and hardware panel in Win 10) otherwise a hard ...

keving

HI Hamza

I have been trying out my spectroscopy rig under Prism, and the Direct focus is not really applicable there... But will be back imaging as soon weather permits...so images to follow soon I hope!

Thanks

keving

I can answer one of my queries myself. " I couldnt seem to change the parameters on the fly. I put a new value in (for X-cord say) and pressed 'apply' but noting happned (the 'pending box stayed the same)" Another session showed that it did actually change the system behaviour. I guess a rationalisa...

keving

I have seen a similar thing..
Looks like its caught in some self-referential loop and you have to shut down

keving

Having become somewhat familiar with Prism and imaging, I had my first live session with Prism and my spectroscopy rig (Alpy 600) last night. (I have previously used this kit in a variety of settings). First, I was keen to try the spectroscopy line focussing utility for setting up your instrument (I...

keving

In the panel that pops up to show guiding progress, just near the 1-pixel square showing each correction movement, there is a check box labelled 'bind' (?). Can you say what this is please?

cheers

keving

Hi Hamza Yes will do... But another clue here is that the failure message occurs quite quickly... When I run into problems with manual plate solving (poor initial position for example) the computation is happy to sit there for minutes and work in ever increasing circles around the notional target (O...

keving

Seen this again recently (so doesnt appear to be a 'glitch'). In Direct Autofocus, there is a slew to the star, an image is acquired, and then an attempted plate solve - which fails. I can, however, solve the acquired image manually using Analysis/Plate-solving/single-image... I am using 10.3.42.385...

keving

Seen this problem in another session two nights ago... If the sequence panel (available form the seuquence tab on the camera controls) is open, no auotfocus available with te same camera
???

keving

This is a plate solve initiated automatically by the Direct autofocus (Incidentally, not sure why it does this?) so the whole direct autofocus fails. Quite independently, I have solved successfully using the option under the analysis menu (single image solve) so I have focal length and everything el...

keving

It was the manual sequence button from the camera control panel..
I had yet to start the sequence so it wasn't downloading...

Thanks

keving

I have just tried using the sequencing available under the camera control panel... I was trying to do a last minute check on the focus, just prior to executing the sequence, when I received a message that the camera was not available for focussing. After a while I figured out that this was because t...

keving

I have been successfully using the 'regular' autofocus and, quite independently, the plate solving. Last night I tried the 'Direct' autofocus but received an error where plate solving failed. This was odd as I had 'manually' solved the same view (under the analysis menu). This happened after a star ...

keving

Just tried to make a script to take flats with a pre-defined set of exposure times (useful for using an ELP rather than sky flats). See attached I have to say it was easier than I thought... I see the scripting language is a little like BASIC so it was trip down memory lane (35 years or so?). I have...

keving

Agh! Just seen related topic pointing to dropbox file...
Now fixed after re-installing that file, but it would be nice if the plate solve was robust after update

keving

Hi there

Just upgraded to 10.3.42.385 and tried to plate solve (under 'analysis') using Astromety.net . I have previously done this successfully (having obtained an API key). Howver, this time I received the message

PLUG-IN ASCOM.Astrometry.Net Switch is not installed...

??

thanks

keving

Hi Hamza - many thanks On the video - the one without the sound is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6jLG1jTgx8&t=25s The proper one on autoguiding at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrCw76VwctM seems fine... I'll have a go with the flats and the config saving soon, hopefully (although Xmas looms.......

keving

Thanks Hamza On the flats... Would it also be possible to take them through the 'Auto observations' panel as follows: set a sun elevation range of -90 to 0, load your sequence file, check 'flat recording', and press 'go' under the 'execute' panel? You would have to delete any object list if already ...

keving

Hi all, Just trying things out - very impressed with planetarium and raft of focussing routines but, coming from SGP, I guess I might need to consider new ways of doing things... So, for example, taking flats. I see in Prism, its very sky-flat oriented. I use an electro-luminescent panel and am used...

Search found 53 matches