![]() ![]() So I have a PC in the observatory for telescope and camera control and image acquisition. PCs are cheap – especially considering that you don’t need a high-end one. However, the sad fact is you’re going to feel a strong need for a PC to do imaging. If there was a way to do this with a Mac only, I would. (When it doesn’t work, the problem is usually around the USB-to-Serial conversion that is often needed to run the Serial-port connection.) Some of this software works in a Mac running Windows under Parallels or VMWare, but some does not. Although there is imaging software for the Mac, and some cameras and telescopes include Mac control software, my experience is that the vast majority of drivers for astronomy devices are PC-only, and the vast majority of specialized astronomy applications are PC-only. However, my imaging computer in my observatory is a PC. The web site you’re reading now was developed entirely on a Mac, as is most of my work. I think they are superior in many ways, and always use a Mac when I have a choice. I have both Macs and PCs in my life, and prefer the Macs. It doesn’t have to be an ultra-high-end computer, but there are some features and specifications that you need to take into account. Your imaging computer will be with you at the telescope every night, and may also be the machine you use indoors for your post-processing. The remainder of this article offers advice on the selection of a computer and software for astrophotography. ![]() While not necessary, and not really a part of astrophotography, a computer at the telescope can also help align and control your mount, locate targets, manage your observing plan, and keep your logs and journals. This computer task is not normally performed at the telescope, but can be indoors, in comfort and during daylight hours or on cloudy nights. (In fact, in terms of the time you will invest, it has only begun.) A substantial amount of post-processing of the image is usually necessary to make the captured detail visible and pleasing. Once you have taken the exposure and produced an image file, the job is far from over. If you are taking long-exposure images, you will need an autoguider, and most autoguiders require a computer to do the analysis and calculate the guiding corrections to be sent to the mount. Dedicated Astronomy CCD cameras also produce image files in a specialized format, and a computer will be needed to read and organize these files. Specialized astronomy CCD cameras must be used with a computer at the telescope – they are incapable of being used on their own. (Most modern DSLRs, however, can be also controlled by a computer and there are numerous advantages to doing so.) ![]() If you are using a DSLR you may be able to do the actual acquisition of images without a computer at the telescope, just by pressing the shutter button on your camera and downloading your images from camera to computer later. Controlling the Camera and Acquiring Images To do digital astrophotography you will need a computer and some specialized software. We’ve discussed mount, telescope, and camera now we need to have a computer and appropriate software to control the camera, and probably the mount. This is a continuation of a general introduction to the tools and methods of astrophotography.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |