CCD Camera Imaging - Preparing to Image
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It's best to tackle these tasks systematically so as to spend as little time as possible before getting down to the imaging run. At this stage the camera should be set to a short looping exposure of about 5 to 10 seconds. Movements of the telescope mount are controlled by the Synscan handbox. The steps to be taken are :
Check Focus
Proper focusing is essential to getting good images. To get proper focus the focusing mechanism must place the camera at an exact distance from the primary mirror. But temperature changes can cause the materials in the telescope tube to expand or contract and that affects the distance between the primary mirror and the camera. So it is important to check the camera's focus before each imaging run. Frame Target Use the planning session data to properly frame the target object within the camera's imaging frame. Calibrate the Autoguider and Start Guiding The autoguider will probably need to be re-calibrated for the mount's position after the target object has been located. |
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