David's Astronomy - Notes 2021-09-08 (S913)

Session Aims & Highlights

- Observing Result
- Night Summary Plot
- Session Event Log

Operational Issues

- Critical Issues (0), Major Issues (0), Minor Issues (13), Small Defects (1), Continuous Improvement (17)

Images from 2021-09-08 >> [ Local Files >> ]

2021-09-15

All Sky Plate Solver (ASPS)

Schedule Builder - Calibration Targets

2021-09-15

All Sky Plate Solver (v 1.4.5.11) was downloaded and installed today on the Development Computer in order to test out its ability to plate solve images that have proven difficult to plate solve using either CCDSoft/TheSky6 or ASTAP.

After installation of the program the relevant index files were downloaded and installed via the program's Index Installation wizard. For my telescope (~3000mm), the wizard installed index files relevant to FOV from 2.0' to 22.0'

[ Note: at the commencement of the installation a messge was shown that Microsoft Web Expression 4 application had to be closed for the installation, why they could be sharing the same system file or whatever is unclear ]

1) All Sky Plate Solver
Running the program from its normal window, it was found that plate solving was fairly slow. There is no way to enter an initial best estimate of image's RA/Dec position and it is uncertain whether it takes RA/DEC from the FITS image. If not the latter then it will undoubtedly take a long time to plate solve.

2) COM object access (asps.dll)
a) Tried to access PlateSolver from my AstroMain program using
Dim ASPS as Object
ASPS = CreateObject("AllSkyPlateSolver.PlateSolver")

but this produced an exception at run time saying that the ActiveX Conponent could not be created.

b) Added AllSkyPlateSolver reference to my AstroMain project and used the following code
Dim ASPS as AllSkyPlateSolver.PlateSolver ' this allowed the PlateSolver's method and properties to be selected after typing ASPS.
ASPS = New AllSkyPlateSolver.PlateSolver

but this produced an exception at run time saying

{"Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {BB5A41D4-511E-4AA6-ACB2-7B1EE7269216} failed due to the following error: 80040154 Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG))."}

Examining RegEdit suggest that the PlateSolver is registered, but to be double sure the following command was used to re-register the ASPS.dll

C:\Windows\SysWow64\regsvr32.exe C:\Windows\SysWow64\ASPS.dll"

3) Command Line Access
Using the method of calling the All SKy Plate solver from command line with arguements works but there seemed to be some critical issues

Submitting the following as a shell command

"C:\Program Files (x86)\PlateSolver\PlateSolver.exe" /SOLVEFILE "C:\Data\MyAstroImage.fit" "C:\Data\Result.txt" 3000 20.4 1.39983305555556 12.9458333333333 1.0

based on the format required
PlateSolver.exe /solvefile <FileName> <OutputFile> [<FocalLength>] [<PixelSize>] [<CurrentRA>] [<CurrentDec>] [<NearRadius>]

Eventually after several minutes produced an output file with the following:

OK
21.0170919267
12.9154788080
17
11
1.40
-0.93
2998

Whilst a plate solution was achieved (OK), and whilst the returned Declination, Fov dimensions, plate scale, camera angle and focal length values were close to expected the value returned for RA (21.017..) is completed off.. It's a very along way from image's actual RA (1.3998). Its unclear how PlateSolver managed to return such as incorrect result. Given the NearRadius value of 1.0 (degrees) that was specified, it is unclear why the PlateSolver would have moved so far from its starting location.

Conclusion
Given the slow performance seen and the return of false postive (incorrect) plate solutions it is concliuded that AllSKy Plate Solver provides me with no benefits above the plate solution methods already used. Therefore after 5-6 hours working with AllSky Plate Solver it was decided to give up and uninstall the program. To remove the Index files (some 30 GB) the 'astrometry' folder in user / appdata folder area had to be manually deleted.

A new scheduling initiative is the capability to include a before and/or after calibration star/starfield for a given target. For example this to automatically obtain calibration spectra for an offset star for later calibration of a target's spectra.

This requires the following work (red & green boxes indicate current status of work)

AstroPlan 1.23 / Database :

Creation of new project(s) to contain the various calibration star/starfields that will be added
    Spectral Calibration (program ID=50)

Extension to the target table to include 3 new fields   (AstroPlan 1.22.10)
    CollectCalibration (integer), 0 or 1
    CalibrationBeforeID (integer) - which relates to a specific calibration star/starfield
    CalibrationAfterID (integer) - which relates to a specific calibration star/starfield

Extension to TTargetRecord object
    CollectCalibration (boolean)
    CalibrationBeforeID (integer) - which relates to a specific calibration star/starfield
    CalibrationAfterID (integer)

Addition of checkbox field on target form
     CollectCalibration (checkbox)

Addition of new tab on target form which appears or not dependant on the UseCalibrationFields setting, with new fields
    tabCalibration (tab)
    txtCalibrationBeforeID (textbox)
    txtCalibrationBeforeObjectName (textbox)
    txtCalibrationAfterID (textbox)
    txtCalibrationAfterObjectName (textbox)
    btnSelectCalibrationAfter (button)
    btnSelectCalibrationBefore (button)
   Other derived fields for Con, Offsets, Notes etc

Add functionality to allow Select of Calibration Star/Starfield

Functionality for saving/loading target data from database including new calibration fields

Extension to TTargetRecord object

    IsCalibrationField (boolean) (integer or string, before / after)
    CalibrationForTargetID (integer) - the target that item relates to

Extension to Plan table (AstroPlan 1.22.11)
    ElementType (string) CalA, CalB, MI,

Extension to Observation table ( (AstroPlan 1.22.11)
   ElementType (string) CalA, CalB, MI, ToO, ToO-F

Modification to ScheduleBuilder
    UseCalibrationFields (boolean)
    CalibrationFieldType (integer or string, before / after)
    Inclusion of Calibration Star/Starfields into plan before/after target as appropriate (new code)
    Maintainance of target & before/after calibrations as an unsplittable entity (new code)

Extension to Plan Chart
    indication of Item type (calibration / must include)

Extension to Result Chart
    Indication of Item type (Calibration / Must include / ToO , FastReact)

AstroMain :

Extension to TClass object
    ElementType (string) CalA,CalB, MI, ToO, ToO-F
    CollectCalibration (boolean)
    ' IsCalibrationField (boolean)
    ' CalibrationType     (integer/enum before/after)
    CalibrationForID   (integer) - the ID of the Target that item relates to

Add handling for new field : ElementType.
      Retrieve ElementType from Plan
      Update ElememtType with ToO or ToO-F for Targets of Opportunity
      Update InsertObservation routine (save ElementType to observation)

Extend Reporting
     Calibration Before/After Items
      IsCalibration, CalibrationType and Name of Target that item relates to.

Other

AstroVOE and AstroSN to use new TTargetRecord with updated InsertNewTarget (AstroVOE 1.8, AstroSN 1.6)

2021-09-16 19:00 New versions released

AstroMain 3.42, AstroPlan 1.23, AstroVOE 1.8, AstroSN 1.6

Schedule Builder Notes:

- GetActiveTargetSet() only brings back Targets which are Active and from Projects which are active and set to Use.
(This could be a problem since Calibrated Targets are generally not active Targets. They only become active because of their association with a Target require collection of calibration data. For timing being set the "Spectral Calibration" project to 'Active' and 'Use For Scheduling', but set rank of calibration stars to lowest rank (4). Calibration stars need to get into TS() array in order for Airmass Calculations etc to be made. ChooseTarget() routine could be modified so that targets in "Spectral Calibration" project are specifically excluded from being choosen as 'primary' targets.)

- TActiveTarget structure needs to be extended to include following extra fields:
    CollectCalibration (boolean)
    CalibrationBeforeID (integer) - which relates to a specific calibration star/starfield
    CalibrationAfterID (integer)

   and GetActiveTargetSet() needs to be extended to read this extra fields.

- GetActiveTargetSet() needs to be extended in order to cross-reference the CalibrationBeforeID and CalibrationAfterID with their respective TS array position.

- TObservation structure (element with a plan) needs to be extended to include

This Web Page:

Notes - Session 913 (2021-09-08)

Last Updated :

2024-03-23

Site Owner :

David Richards

Home Page :

David's Astronomy Web Site

David's Astronomy Pages
Notes - Session 913 (2021-09-08)

Session Aims & Highlights (2021-09-08)

Operational Issues (2021-09-08, S913)

2021-09-15

All Sky Plate Solver (ASPS)

Schedule Builder - Calibration Targets

David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 913 (2021-09-08)

Session Aims & Highlights (2021-09-08)

Operational Issues (2021-09-08, S913)

2021-09-15

All Sky Plate Solver (ASPS)

Schedule Builder - Calibration Targets

David's Astronomy Pages
Notes - Session 913 (2021-09-08)