Mon, 12/18/2023 - 17:15
Hello All,
I have been plugging away with data acquisition and processing; attempting to get a work-flow. I like AIJ, but I'm still struggling with it. I'm also "down in the weeds" with "paper and pencil" math on the subject (which is truly a joy as an aspiring mathematician).
At what point do we seek to submit data? How do I know my data is good enough to seek submission? Is there some kind of vetting process on data submission?
I have read and re-read several of the manuals. If I can answer a question on my own, I make every attempt. However, I would like to know current policy and expectations.
Thanks -
Tony
Go for it. Learn by doing. Take data on a star that is well covered. You can compare your data with others with LCG and VSTAR. Take the VPHOT course as soon as possible. See if you can see an exoplanet. Have fun.
Ray TRE
Thanks, Ray. I'm making some headway. Admittedly, it's a juggling act between Calculus class, my C++ algorithm class and running a law practice. The biggest obstacle is the weather. It's either heavy clouds or heavy winds in the last several months. If you, or anyone, have/has any good resources on using AIJ, that would be great. I like the stand-alone nature of AIJ.
I've created a light curve. But, I get a flux output, when I need magnitude. Also, it has been difficult to replicate my processes with AIJ. I was able to create a light curve with the reference star plotted. Then, it just quit.
Best -
Tony ZADB
Tony,
Here are some resources.
Website
https://www.astro.louisville.edu/software/astroimagej/
AIJ User Guide
https://www.astro.louisville.edu/software/astroimagej/guide/AstroImageJ_User_Guide.pdf
Article in The Astronomical Journal
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/153/2/77/pdf
I use AIJ. I do not perform astrometry to determine WCS (World Coordinate System) data. I simply manually enter the name of the variable star in the DP (Data Processor) Coordinate Converter dialog then press "Enter". AIJ instantly interrogates SIMBAD and inserts the RA and DEC of the target. AIJ uses that to calculate the target's airmass. Without WCS data, you must align the image stack prior to perfoming photometry.
AIJ outputs a lot of data in tabular form which can be saved and imported into a spreadsheet.
The columns I copy into another sheet for further calculations are: JD_UTC (or HJD_UTC, depending on need); Airmass (of target); Source-Sky_T1 (target); Source-Sky_C2 (Check or first Comp); Source-Sky_C3 (Comp) .... and similar column headings for any further comp stars.
I use spreadsheet templates in a workbook to do all the calculations, and because I'm working on mid eclipse timings of EBs, use non-transformed magnitudes.
Hope the above helps.
Roy
It does. I have…
Hi Roy,
It does. I have been working the Louisville material into practice. It's just that there's a lot of "hunting and pecking" are to the workflow. I just need to stay with it.
I have been using the ZWO ASIAir to control my "patrols." I like the ASIAir. However, I am still working out setting to UTC time viz meridian flips. My FITS headers have Local Civil Time. I think that I can write a script to properly translate to UTC once the data is exported to an Excel workbook.
I had used Pixinsight's Image Solver script to get astronomical solutions into the headers. I'll try your method.
I am forever looking for simplicity and linearity in the workflow . . . .
Thank you and I hope you're having a nice summer down under. :)
Tony
The CHOICE exoplanet course is a good overall introduction to many aspects of AIJ. People do become proficient at it. Many opt for easier ways to do photometry. Each method/program seems to have some advantages. I look for ways to do the least amount of typing or looking at computer monitors or waiting on computers to finish a job. I look for easy ways to average or stack images, transform, generate AAVSO reports. No AIJ or tedious spreadsheets here, I tried those. Someday I might look to LesvePhotometry. Whatever method is chosen, it just takes time to develop the best workflow.
When taking the images, I like that my software takes the sequence I ask for, solves the images, places the images into the directory I want them in, and points my telescope. I'm just lazy that way. ; )
Ray
Ray,
Yes, spreadsheets can be tedious. But they can also be designed to be efficient. For the workbook template I referred to, all that has the be done is to copy the entire raw tabular output from AIJ into the first sheet. Instantly, a table of HJD times and magnitude values appears in the results sheet.
At present the template, customized to each target, check and comp star ensemble, can handle photometry performed on up to 1,000 images in a time series.
Roy
Thanks to the both of you for the feedback and discourse. At the moment, I'm just swimming in ideas as to direction. By simplicity and linearity, I mean a consistent workflow that is not going to entail too many side-trips for accurate data. I am an absolute stickler on detail, accuracy and verification. (My poor math teacher. She gets all of my solutions forward and backward, with a check mark and smiley face.)
I'll take the CHOICE course. Further, the reading never ends - which is great. At the moment, to develop my methodology, I am chasing eclipsing binaries. But, I think my interest ultimately lies with cataclysmic variables.
Best -
Tony
Good observing Tony, jump right in, and have fun with the arithmetic.
Ray
Thanks, Ray. I just finished Pre-Calculus with a 94.15% in the class. It was my first math class since 1989. I had to peg myself somewhere on the math spectrum. Now on to Calculus 1 through 3, Linear Algebra and Ordinary Differential Equations, as well as three semesters of classical physics and C++ algorithm programming.
I am re-doing my protocol and moving over to N.I.N.A. or PDCapture. I ordered a mini-PC and my mount will accommodate. Now, I just need the weather to cooperate.
Happy New Year's Eve. Have a safe and enjoyable one!
Tony
Curious; is your new mini-PC a Linux PC? Ubuntu?, Mint?
I got a Win11 Pro and am dreading to turn it on, for fear of the cloud.
Ray
It's a Windows 11 machine. But, I can always partition and put Ubuntu on it. I have all of my other machines with a dual boot Linux/Windows OS.
Did you have any suggestions regarding a particular setup? I get the Windows issue. No matter how much you drill down, sometimes, it just has a mind of its own. Did you run a "debloat" on it? Under powershell, enter with administrator privileges and, at the command prompt, run the following script: iwr -useb https://git.io/debloat|iex
This and a few registry additions changed my Windows 11 machine from a surveillance/advertising platform to a computer.
Tony
Ray,
I'm curious to know what you mean by this comment.
Roy
Looks like Tony has…
Hi Roy.
Looks like Tony has a handle on it.
Thanks Tony. MS also has some tips to allow us to use out computers as controls machines. I found them on Google. The trick is to not let it get on the internet before you make the necessary changes.
Roy, sounds like you have no trouble with file handling , controlling your camera, mount, focuser without interruption with your Windows 11 machines?
I actually have not tried it yet.
Ray
I have no idea what…
Hi Ray,
I have no idea what Tony is talking about (just my ignorance). I'm still not clear why you fear the cloud :)
On my latest computer (Win 11) I unlinked my MS account from OneDrive, so no data is saved to the cloud. I don't use this computer for anything to do with astronomy equipment or photometry.
I will need a new Win 11 laptop soon, which will run anything to do with astronomy. My Microsoft account on that machine will also be unlinked from OneDrive.
Roy
…
That is good to know Roy.
Can you also stop automatic updates and restarts while you are taking data?
TRE
In Win 10, I define "out of hours" to be daytime, and set the times when updates are allowed to be within the out of hours times.
I presume it would be the same in Win 11, but haven't set up for those things yet.
Roy
I just saw this. I…
Hi Roy,
I just saw this. I've been off the site for a few days. The debloat script that I posted pares down all of the "bloatware" (colloquially called) in Windows 10 and 11. There are a ton of scripts running in the background on either OS. That script will let you customize what you want running or if you want to pare the machine down to bare bones.
I've had some pretty good success building this new Windows 11 machine to run N.I.N.A. and PDCapture. The weather is finally clearing up and I'll get a shot at some data soon.
Thanks for everyone's input.
Tony
Hi Tony,
Thanks for the comment. I Googled Win 11 debloat and came across some cautionary comments about unintended consequences apparently experienced by some users, some of which looked troublesome to say the least.
From what I read, it may be safer (at least for a non-professional user like me) to find out how to remove or disable what you don't need using standard Win 11 settings and operations.
Of course, I don't know that such problems could arise from the particular debloat script that you posted.
Roy
Well, better safe…
Hi Roy,
Well, better safe than sorry. I like to strip a machine down. I'm learning Linux (again). I like bare bones and even command line functionality. But, if it ain't broke, no sense in fixing it.
I revamped my software and hardware environment. I'll put up a new post. I'm looking for some suggestions on direction.
Tony