I. Plan Session

Planning is perhaps the most neglected aspect of astrophotography. For a
novice like me who is still learning the art, and is practicing on well-
known objects, it might not be as important. But when trying to capture
an elusive DSO, or a fleeting event, planning ahead becomes more important.

Presently, this a a manual, pencil and paper procedure. I hope to improve
this by building a web-based wizard that will result in a digital or
hardcopy product that can be used in the field. A side benefit is that
much of the image record data behind the images that appear on this Web
site can be captured during this process.

  1. Select object
  2. Study object
    1. RA and Dec
    2. Magnitude/Surface Brightness
    3. Apparent Diameter
    4. Determine:
      1. Desired FoV
        1. Scale in Arcminutes: S=(3437.8 x D)/FL
          • S=scale (arcminutes)
          • D=dimension on sensor (mm)
          • FL=focal length of telescope (mm)
        2. Scale in Degrees: S(arcmin)/60
      2. Camera Orientation
  3. Determine when best to see
    1. Meridian
    2. Sunrise/Sunset
    3. Moon
  4. Determine equipment configuration
    1. Telescope
    2. Accessory Lens
    3. Camera
      1. Which camera?
      2. Settings
  5. Develop planning package
    1. Object name and particuliars from Steps A and B
    2. Equipment and configuration data
    3. Camera view chart (identify the camera)
    4. Eyepiece view chart (identify the eyepiece)
    5. Wider view chart (to aid in star hopping)