To install the entire Autostar Suite, simply move the cursor over the Install Autostar Suite button and click the left mouse button. You will prompted through the balance of the installation. In addition to the Autostar Suite, the CDROM also contains this manual and manuals for the Autostar Image Processing module and the LPI camera. To view manuals, click on the Manuals Screen. To view the Meade product catalog, click on the Meade General Catalog button. Finally, to access Meades website for the latest updates and product information, click anywhere on the Meade logo. If the window above does not automatically appear after a few seconds, you can select the Run option from the Program Manager window. Then type: D:SETUP then press Enter. Where D: is the drive letter for your CDROM reader. The Setup program will prompt you for the desired drive and path in which to install the program and data files. Use may also choose the star database that you would like to install. Then it will begin uncompressing the files from the distribution disks and copying them to the appropriate locations on the Hard disk. Make sure you have at least 12 Megabytes of free space on the destination drive if you have selected the magnitude 8.0 star database and approximately 5 Megabytes if your using the magnitude 6.0 data. If you change your mind and would like to install a different database option, just run the Setup program again, but select only those features that you would like to change. Once the installation is complete, Autostar Suite will be ready to help you begin your own exploration of the Cosmos.

Quick Start

To get a quick overview of some of Autostar Suite features, follow the steps below: To Set Location: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the Time menu, by clicking on the name or typing Alt+T. Then select the Set Location entry. The Set Location Dialog Box will now be displayed. Select either Cities or Observatories, then select your desired location. Check the Timezone and Daylight Savings status by clicking on the Set Timezone button. The Set Timezone dialog box will be displayed. Click on the OK button in the Set Timezone dialog box to return to the Set Location dialog box.
If you are satisfied with your selection, click on the OK box. Otherwise, make another selection, then click the OK button. If you want to save these selections for the next session, select the Save Parameters from the Time menu.
To View the Starmap: 1. Select Zoom from the Starmap menu. 2. Choose 50% coverage, if it is not already selected. This will give you a view of approximately 50% of the sky when looking straight up. You may also enter the Field of View directly in degrees if you desire. Click the OK button when finished. 3. Choose Viewpoint from the Starmap menu. Click on South. This will allow the Starmap to display the sky as it appears at the selected location looking southward at this exact instant! 4. Choose the Options menu item. This displays a selection menu of all of the Starmap options such as grid lines and names. Select the Deepsky Objects check box, then click on OK. The Starmap will now be displayed with Clusters (yellow circles), Nebulas (green squares) and Galaxies (red ellipses). If you zoom-in for a closer look at these objects, you will notice that they are drawn to scale. Each class of object has its own minimum size so that they will still be visible with a wide field of view. 5. Move the mouse so that the cursor is directly over a Star. Click the Left mouse button. You should now have the Starmap Utilities dialog box displayed and a bullseye is drawn around the object that you have selected. 6. Choose the Get Description radio button. If your aim was good, the Object Description dialog box will be displayed. Here you will find information such as the objects actual location, magnitude, B-V color, and a number of other features. Click on OK when you're done. 7. Open the Object Selection dialog box from the Starmap menu. 8. Select the Messier catalog and enter 51 (do NOT enter the M prefix) in the Number field. This will select M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy. Then click on the OK button. The starmap will redraw with M51 at the center of the display. 9. Open the Zoom Factor dialog box by selecting the Zoom entry from the Starmap menu or by holding down the control key and pressing Z. 10. Set the Field of View to 0.5 degrees, then click the OK button. This will redraw the starmap showing both M51 and its companion galaxy. You may hit the ESC key to abort the drawing of each phase of the starmap. 11. To see an image of M51, just click on M51 and when the Star Map Utilities Box appears, click on Show Image. After a moment an image of M51 will be displayed in a new window. 16. Close the image display by clicking on the x icon in the upper right corner of the image window, or by choosing the Close function from the File menu. By now you should have a good feel for the overall structure and methods used in Autostar Suite. You can now begin your journey into discovering the Cosmos!

Shuts down Autostar Suite in an orderly fashion and returns to the Windows Manager. If there are any modified files opened, you will be prompted to save those files.

Chapter 3 Time

3. Time
The Time functions allow you to set the time and date, display the current time in a variety of formats, and select the location from which you want to observe. You may select a time and date anywhere from January 1, 4713 B.C. to December 31, 9999 A.D. However, you would normally select dates that correspond to your planned observing sessions. If you set a date or time, Autostar Suite's internal clock is halted and all calculations will use your chosen time and date. If you choose to use the system time, the internal clock will again begin running and will be accessed in realtime as the system requires. When Autostar Suite is communicating directly with an observatory, the observatory will provide an accurate time source for Universal Time (UT1). When not connected, Universal Time is derived from the internal clock of the PC.

Time Display

The Time Display function displays a modeless dialog box that allows you to continuously monitor all of the current times required by Autostar Suite. Since the Time Display is modeless, you may keep the display active while using other program functions. The display can be disabled either by selecting the Time Display menu item, or by double clicking the left mouse button on the symbol in the upper right corner of the display.
The first time display is that of the Local Zonal Time for the currently selected location. If Autostar Suite is not connected to an observatory, this value is derived from the internal clock of the PC. The current status of daylight savings time is shown below the Local Solar display. The Local Mean Solar Time is the actual local time based on the mean position of the sun. This time, plus the value of the Equation of Time yields Local Apparent Solar Time, which is the time indicated by a sundial at the current location. The Universal Time display shows the value of the time at Greenwich, England. This is the precise time used in all astronomical calculations. The time returned from an observatory will be its current value of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) corrected for its position. The corrected time is then called UT1. Observatories near the United States will probably be using (UTC) derived from radio station WWV or WWVH (Hawaii). If the Universal Time value reflects a time that is on a day different from the current local day, a warning is displayed below the display indicating that fact. The message Next Day will be displayed if the UT day is greater than the current day, and Previous Day if it is less. No message will be displayed if the UT and local days are the same. Finally, the Local Sidereal Time is shown. This is the Local Apparent Sidereal Time for the current location. Sidereal time is the Right Ascension of any object that is directly overhead (Zenith) at that instance. Or to look at it

another way, Sidereal Time is the time that has elapsed since the Vernal Equinox (or first point of Aries) has passed overhead. The sidereal time must always be known when attempting to locate objects in the sky based only on their given coordinates. Below the time displays, the current Gregorian date is shown along with the current location and its coordinates. These are shown merely for reference. The Delta T value is displayed for reference. This value is used when converting from Universal time (UT) to Barycentric Dynamical Time (TDB). If you have set the current time and selected the Set Dynamical Time option, this value will be zero (0.0), otherwise it displays the number of seconds added to UT to produce TDB. The final values displayed are the Julian Date (JD) and the Julian Ephemeris Day (JDE). The Julian date is the number of days, and fractional days, since January 1, 4713 B.C., at 12:00 Universal Time. The Julian date is the current date on the Prime Meridian which runs through Greenwich, England and is therefore a function of the Universal Time (UT1). JDE is the Julian date corrected by Delta T. This value is used in all of the Ephemeris and Sidereal calculations.

Set Time & Date

Setting the current time and date can be accomplished in two different manners. You may enter either the standard (Gregorian) time and date values or you may enter the full Julian date. Either method is equally valid. Once you specify a time and date, the internal Autostar Suite clock is frozen at your desired settings. The internal clock runs only when you are using the system clock (either from the PC or the observatory). To start the system clock, select either Gregorian or Julian from the Set Time & Date menu and push the Use System Time & Date button. The entered value may also be used as the current Dynamical Time by selecting the Set As Dynamical Time button.

Gregorian

The Gregorian time and date format is the format that is normally used throughout the world. It was established at noon on October 4, 1582 by Pope Gregory. At that instance of time, the current Julian date was 2299160.0. The very next instance became October 15, 1582 and the Julian date became 2299160.5. This was done to correct for errors that had accumulated, since the previous calendar did not include leap years. Pope Gregory's new calendar included an extra day every four years. This is the calendar we still use today.

Julian

The Julian calendar is merely a sequential count of the number of days since 1 January, 4713 B.C. (which is written 1 January, -4712). This value is useful when calculating the Ephemeris data (the changing positions of the planets, comets, etc.). Most technical almanacs, such as the Astronomical Almanac, exclusively use the Julian date when specifying a particular time and date.

Set Timezone

The Set Timezone function allows you to change the value for the timezone of the current location. The Daylight Savings feature can also be enabled or disabled from this dialog box. You should always set the timezone value correctly, then select Daylight Savings as appropriate.

Set Location

Selecting the Set Location menu item displays a dialog box which allows you to pick an Observatory or City location from which you will be observing. You may either choose from a list of predefined locations or you may enter your own latitude and longitude coordinates. If you enter your own coordinates (or modify predefined values) the Time Display will show User Specified Location instead of the actual location name. This assures that only the predefined (and correct) coordinates are used if you are sending requests to an actual observatory. If you have entered your own coordinates or wish to change the status of Daylight Savings, you can access the Set Timezone dialog box directly by pushing the Set Timezone button.

Save Parameters

Selecting the Save Parameters item from the Time menu allows to save the location, coordinates and timezone information in the AutostarSuite.INI file. This file is located in your current Windows directory. This file contains information so that the next time you run Autostar Suite, it will begin with your desired values. Note: Other Autostar Suite information is automatically added to the AutostarSuite.INI file as the program runs. The Save Parameters function only saves the location parameters, which are NOT saved by default.

Chapter 4 Ephemeris

4. Ephemeris
The Ephemeris menu allows you to view the parameters of the ephemeral (changeable) objects in the Solar system. The detailed parameters of each object can be viewed individually by selecting the object directly from the menu. The values shown are a function of Autostar Suite's current time value and the precision that is set in the Starmap menu. All values are calculated using the accepted rigorous methods. For the most accurate geocentric (Earth centered) values, choose the High precision mode. By selecting the Topocentric precision mode, you will see the high precision values that are also corrected for the current location and elevation. NOTE: The accuracy of the minor planet database decreases as the time from the 'Epoch of Osculation' increases. Autostar Suite is shipped with the most current data available at the time of packaging, but due to variations in the supply of the product, you may receive data that is somewhat outdated. For normal applications the values are acceptable for several years, but for extreme accuracy, the data may only suffice for several weeks or months. For highly accurate applications contact Meade Instruments to obtain an updated database. Normally, the new data is published every six months.

Moon Calendar

The Moon Calendar command displays the phases of the moon in a convenient calendar format. By default the current mouth is displayed. To look at other months, you can use the Month and Year controls at the bottom of the display. The calendar can also be printed on the default printer by selecting Print. When you are finished, select Done, to dismiss the dialog.

Eclipse Calendars

The Eclipse Calendars command displays a world map of upcoming total and partial solar eclipsed. The map shows the path of the eclipse across the Earth and the date when the eclipse will occur.

Show Current Values

The Show Current Values command displays the current values of the variables used in all of the Ephemerides. Occasionally, you may want to calculate your own ephemeris, instead of deriving all of these values, you can simply set the time and date to your requirements, then use these values. All values used by Autostar Suite are derived by the rigorous methods as outlined in the Astronomical Almanac or in Jean Meeus's book Astronomical Algorithms (see the bibliography). This assures exceedingly accurate and precise results. These values displayed here are always shown to their full precision, independent of the setting of the Starmap Precision.

Chapter 5 Starmap

5. Starmap
Autostar Suite provides a highly detailed and extremely accurate map of the sky that includes stars, planets, galaxies, nebulas and other deep sky objects. The map has a number of selectable options that allow you to generate the map in a way that best suits your needs. Once you have configured the starmap to your requirements, you can generate a high quality hard copy version. You can center the starmap on any star, deepsky object, or constellation you choose. Or you can set the center coordinates to any Right Ascension and Declination values you desire. The starmap is normally drawn as a spherical projection. That is, each object's position is calculated based on the current Zenith viewpoint and is then mapped, or projected, onto a sphere. This results in a display that has the minimal amount of distortion around the point of interest, but, it is more computationally expensive than the flat polar or equatorial projections that are sometimes used. All starmap plotting functions are implemented using 64 bit floating point numbers with 80 bit intermediate results. This provides extremely accurate maps, even when the field of view is less than 0.00001 degree.

Previous View

Redraws the starmap using the previous field of view and Zenith coordinates. This is used as an 'Undo' function.

Redraw

Redraws the starmap. Occasionally, other windows drawn over the starmap may corrupt a portion of the map, or leave some remnants over the starmap image. The Redraw function clears the map and renders a new map using all of the current parameters.

Animate Starmap

The Animate Starmap command allows you to redraw the ephemeral objects (Planets, Comets and Asteroids) in rapid succession while incrementing the date and time between each redraw. A trail is left behind the object as it moves. To begin animation, first select the Step Time and the units, either days, hours, minutes or seconds, then press the Start button. The starmap will begin updating the positions of all the ephemeral objects that were selected in the Options dialog box. While the animation is running you may change the step time or the units, or change the direction. Pressing the Stop button halts the animation, leaving the trails displayed on the screen. You may click on any of the trails to determine which object produced the trail. Note that the position that will be displayed in Object Description dialog box will show the coordinates of the object at the current date and time, NOT the date and time of the position in the trail.
The Reverse option allows you to clear the display, draw the objects in their normal starting positions, then begin animation from the last position calculated. This is useful when looking for conjunctions or occultations. In addition to the Reverse switch, two there switches are provided to change the way the animation is handled. The Lock Az/El changes the animation so that the current Azimuth and Elevation of the viewpoint is locked to the center of the display. This method dramatically displays the apparent motion of stars against the sky.
The Trails switch, keeps the previous display from being cleared before the next is drawn. This is a great switch to use to plot the retrograde motion of plates, or to chart occultations and transits. You may also set the Autostar Suite time value to the time of the current animation step. This allows you to 'freeze' the time of an event such as on occultation. At anytime during the animation you may click on the Update Current Time button. This will copy the displayed time value from the Animation dialog box into the system time value, just as though you had entered the time directly from the Set Time & Date function.

Viewpoint

The Viewpoint command allows you change the position in the sky, and in some cases the scale and orientation of the Starmap display. When you select the Viewpoint command, you well get a sub-menu with additional commands. The North, South, East, West and Zenith commands will change the set the viewpoint of the Starmap so that it will appear as seen by an ground based observer looking in the indicated direction. The Starmap will be rotate so that zenith is towards the top of the display and the Starmap scale will be set to a 90 degrees apparent field of view. If you select the Custom View command, a dialog box allows you to set the current R.A. and Dec. values for the center of the Starmap display. Once you have set the R.A. and DEC. fields, selecting OK will redraw the star map with the requested position at the center of the display. If you already know the coordinates of the object, merely enter the Right Ascension in hours, minutes and seconds, and the Declination in degrees, minutes and seconds, then select the OK button. The Starmap will be redrawn with your coordinates at the center of the screen. If you select the Goto Current Zenith command, the R.A. and DEC. of the current zenith position at your location is copied into the R.A. and DEC fields.

Zenith Up

The Zenith Up command, will toggle the orientation of the displayed Starmap. When the Zenith Up is checked, the the Starmap will be draw so that the local Zenith will be toward the top of the display. This is the orientation in which a ground based observer sees the sky, or as it appear through an Alt./Az. Mounted telescope. When uncheck, the Starmap will be drawn with the celestial pole towards the top of the display. This is orientation seen by observers looking though equatorially mounted telescoped.

Magnitudes

The Magnitudes dialog box allows you to set the range of object magnitudes that will be displayed by the Starmap. The default values are -5.0 for the brightest objects and 22.00 for the dimmest. All displayed objects are affected by these settings, with the exception of the Sun and Moon which are always shown if the Planets are enabled.
Many of the deeps ky objects do not have assigned magnitudes, Autostar Suite defaults these objects to magnitude 22.00 when they are being displayed. Because the display can quickly become cluttered as you zoom out to a wider field, Autostar Suite offers the option of dynamically changing the Magnitude Limits for you. If you check the Auto Contrast switch, the program will dynamically change the limits as you zoom in and out to keep a manageable number of objects displayed. This is the default setting for the program.

Hubble Stars

The Hubble Stars dialog allows you to enable and disable the display of stars from the Hubble Guide Star Catalog.
When enabled, Hubble stars are displayed when the field of view is smaller than 20 degrees. The Hubble catalog includes stars beyond Magnitude 16, so displays can become very dense and redrawing can slow down. Performance can be markedly improved by copying the GSC to your hard drive during installation. If you plan to use the GSC frequently, we recommend it be installed on your hard drive. For occasional use, the catalog can be read from your product CDROM.

Invert Screen Colors

The Invert Screen Colors command, toggles the display between normal white stars on a black field, to black stars on a white field. In the Inverted Screen Colors command is checked, the display will appear more like many printed star charts.

Mirror

The Starmap Mirror function flips the display in either the Horizontal or Vertical direction. This allows the map to be drawn to match the view that is seen through the telescope.
The field of view shown by the starmap display is changed by using the Zoom dialog box. The field of view may be entered in degrees , fractions of degrees, or by selecting one of the sky coverage buttons. Since the size of the display window is variable, the map is scaled to include the selected field of view in the smaller of the x or y directions. If you desire a precise indication of the field of view of the telescope, select the Telescope Fields item from the Options dialog box.

Add to User Data

The Add to User Data function appends a new entry onto the currently selected User Object file using the R.A. and Dec. values displayed at the top of the dialog box. These values are the coordinates of the mouse when the dialog box was created, NOT the coordinates of the object that may be near this location. After the OK utility box button is depressed, the current object file is opened for editing by the Windows Notepad program. You must then add an unique object ID and a description to the new entry which appears at the bottom of the list. The object ID should normally increment sequentially from the first entry, but you may have another numbering scheme for your observing run. The only restriction is that each of the IDs must be unique within a given user object file

Slew Telescope

If you are connected to an Autostar or LX2000 telescope, clicking on Slew Telescope moves you telescope until it points at the selected object or Starmap location.

Sync Telescope

If you have the object selected in the center of the eyepiece, clicking on Sync Telescope will align synchronize the telescopes pointing with the star map.

View Log

Clicking on View Log opens the observing database.The observing database allows you to keep track of your observations. Autostar Suite automatically fills in the record with information about your observations. The dialog below shows a typical observation record.
Buttons at the bottom of the record, let you scroll back and forth through your observations. If you desire to make hard copies of an observation the system will print a one page record, including your image to include in your observation journals. After you have saved and printed your observations, the Clear All button will erase the observation records so you can star a new session.

Show Image

If the Show Image button is active, it means that a reference image of the object is included in the Autostar Suite. To look at the image, just click the button and a window will open with the image. The image can be closed by clicking on the X in the upper right of its frame.

Via Network

Autostar suite can also control telescope remotely over a network connection. The connection may be a local area TCP/IP network, or over the internet. Thus you can operate you instrument from across the room or from around the world. In order to connect to a network telescope, the telescope must be connected to another computer on the network and must be running the Autostar Network Server module (see section below). When you select a network connection, the following dialog will appear:
You will need to enter the network or IP address of the computer running the Network Communications module and its IP port number. By default Autostar Suite uses port 5401. Unless your network administrator requires you to change this value, Meade recommends you leave this setting unchanged. When network communiations is established, you will usually be prompted for a password to access the telescope. Whenever you put a telescope on a network, you must consider that some careless or malicious user may access your scope. A strong password is the best way to insure only trusted users can control the scope.
Enter the telescope password and click on OK. After a moment you will able to control the remote telescope from within the Autostar Suite.
A Single Machine Networks/Port Sharing
One of the benefits of network scope control is that it allows several modules to share a single serial connection to you telescope. Thus with only a single serial cable, the Remote Handbox, Starmap, LPI and Dome control modules can all access the telescope at once. The simplest way to achieve this benefit is to run the Network Communications Module on you computer and then use the Autostar Via Network protocol to access your telescope. Conceptually, you are running a single computer network. Operationally, you first start the Autostar Network Server module, then select the Autostar Via Network protocol. When prompted for the Network Address, enter you Computers name. You can find your computers name by pointing the the My Computer icon on your screen and clicking the right mouse button. When the dialog appear, click on Properites. Then select the tab that says Computer Name to find out your computer name.

Set Field Sizes

The Set Field Sizes command displays the current sizes of the fields of view of both the guide scope and main telescope. The fields may be either rectangular or circular; the sizes are degrees, minutes and seconds of arc. The displayed values would be updated as soon as the communication to the observatory was established. You may change these values as you wish to reflect your own equipment. The values are saved between sessions so that you can plan your observing run without being connected to the telescope. The field sizes can be displayed as an overlay on the starmap by selecting the Telescope Fields entry in the Starmap, Options dialog box

Scope Settings

Selecting the Scope Settings menu brings up the dialog above. It allows you change and examine key settings in your Autostar telescope.

Auto Track

Selecting the Auto Track command, when connected to an Autostar telescope, toggles the this feature. When this menu item is checked, the feature is enabled and causes the star map to automatically change its display to keep the location to which the telescope is pointing on the display. It is a handy feature when you are using the handbox to control the telescope. To see what is in the sky in the vicinity of your scope, just consult the computer.

Communications

The communication menu allows you to configure and test communications between your computer and your Autostar telescope.

Start Network Server

This command starts the Network Server Module on your computer. When you start this module a dialog similar to the one below appears on you screen.
When this module is running, it allow network users to access and control your telescope. It can also be run locally to allow multiple modules on your own computer to share access to a single serial port telescope connection on your PC. When initially started, the server is idle and will not accept a connection. To configure the server you sould first enter the serial port numbers into the windows. Enter the number of the port connected to the Autostar into the Scope Port field. If you have a Meade Observatory Controller, enter the serial port number of the the port connected to the observatory controller. Before enabling connection you need to set a password. If you are only using the Network server as a port sharing mechanism, you and set the password to an empty string and then all connections will be accepted without prompting for a password. This is dangerous is you are sharing the scope over a real network. Meade recommends that you use a long password with both letters and numbers. Passwords are case sensitive. Once you have configured the server, check the Listen box to begin accepting connections. When a connection is established the address of the current user is shown in the status bar as in the example below:
To terminate a connection you can uncheck the listen box. This will disconnect the current user. To accept other connections, recheck the Listen box. To terminate the server, click on the close connection button. Be careful. The Network server is an independent task. It will continue to run after you exit the Autostar Suite. Be sure to close it separately at the end of your run.

Each pixel, including the center one, would be multiplied by 1, then the sum of each of these terms is calculated. The result is then divided by the sum of each of the kernel values, in this case 9. Finally, the center pixel value is replaced with the new result. This process is then repeated for every pixel in the image. There are many different kernels that you can create that give various results. Autostar Suite provides several basic kernels that provide the most common functions, but feel free to experiment. There are a number of image processing books available that will describe other types of kernels.

Appendix B

Constants
Astronomical Unit Parsec Light-year Gravitational Constant Velocity of Light Sidereal Year Mass of the Earth Radius of the Earth at the Equator Orbital Velocity of the Earth Mass of the Sun Radius of the Sun Luminosity of the Sun Effective Temperature of the Sun Mass of the Moon Radius of the Moon Radius of the Moon's Orbit Sidereal Month Synodic month Distance of the Sun from the center of the Galaxy Velocity of the Sun about the Galactic Center Diameter of the Galaxy Mass of the Galaxy = 1.4959787066 x 1011 m = 3.26 ly = 3.086 x 1016 m = 9.46 x 1015 m = 6.672 x 10-11 m3 kg-1 s-2 = 299792458 m/s = 365.26 days = 5.98 x 1024 kg = 6378.160 km = 30 km/sec = 1.9891 x 1030 kg = 6.96 x 105 km = 3.90 x 1026 W = 5780_ K = 7.35 x 1022 kg = 1738 km = 3.84 x 105 km = 27.3 days = 29.5 days = 8.5 kpc = 220 km/sec = 120 kpc = 7 x 1011 solar masses

Bibliography

George O. Abell, Abells Drama of the Universe, Holt, Reinhart and Winston, 1978 Almanac For Computers 1990, Nautical Almanac Office, United States Naval Observatory, Washington, D.C., 1990 Astronomical Almanac, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1984, 1991, 1992 Jean Audouze and Guy Israel, Ed., The Cambridge Atlas of Astronomy, Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1988 J. Kelly Beatty and Andrew Chaikin, Ed., The New Solar System, Sky Publishing Corporation and Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1990 Dan Boulet Jr, Methods of Orbit Determination, Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, 1991 Pierre Bretagnon, Jean-Louis Simon, Planetary Programs and Tables from -4000 to +2800, Willman-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, 1986 Martin Harwit, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Astrophysical Concepts, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1988 Alan Hirshfeld and Roger W. Sinnot, Ed., Sky Catalogue 2000.0 Vol. I & II, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985 Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, Willman-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia 1991 Oliver Montenbruck, Practical Ephemeris Calculations, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 1987 William K. Pratt, Digital Image Processing, second edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1991 Roger Sinnot, Ed., NGC 2000.0, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1988 W. Schlosser, T. Schmidt-Kaler, E.F. Milone, Challenges of Astronomy, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 1991 Tirion, Rappaport, Lovi, Uranometria 2000.0 Vol. I & II, Willman-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, 1987, 1988 Michael Zeilik, Stephen A. Gregory, and Elske v. P. Smith, Introductory Astromony and Astrophysics, Saunders College Publishing HBJ, 1992

parsec - the distance from the Earth an object would have to be so that it's parallax would be one second of arc. One parsec is equivalent to approximately 3.26 LY. perihelion - the point on an object's orbit that is nearest the Sun. photometry - measurement of the intensity of light. planet - any one of the presently known large bodies that orbit the Sun. From the Greek word for "wanderer". precession - the wobbling of the Earth's axis caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the Moon and to a lesser extent the Sun, on the Earth's equatorial bulge. This causes the celestial equator to wobble, thus causing the precession of the equinoxes precession of the equinoxes - the slow westward motion of the equinoxes along the ecliptic caused by the precession of the Earth's axis. right ascension (RA) - the RA is the distance measured EASTWARD from the vernal equinox and is measured in hours, mins, sec. second of arc - 1/3600 of one degree. sidereal time - the hour angle of the vernal equinox, which turns out to be equivalent to the RA on your meridian. topocentric - coordinate system whose reference point is the observer's location on the Earth's surface. universal time - equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). vernal equinox - the point on the celestial sphere where the Sun crosses the celestial equator going from South to North, this point is also defined as the fundamental direction. The vernal equinox occurs on approximately March 21. It's corresponding point on the opposite side of the celestial sphere is the Autumnal Equinox. zenith - the point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer.
Accuracy notes on, 5 Animation. See also Starmap,animation updating the system time, 20 Apparent position, 24 Astrometric position, 24 Compiling data files, 12 Control Panel, 11 Coordinate display starmap, 19 Delta T display, 14 Dynamical Time setting, 14 Ephemeris, 17 values, 17 Equation of Time, 13 Exit, 12 Files closing, 10 opening, 9 saving, 10 saving 8 bit images, 11 saving file as, 10 FK4-Fundamental Katalog 4, 20 FK5-Fundamental Katalog 5, 20 Geocentric, 23 Geometric position, 24 Image prescaling 12 or 16 bit images, 9 Image Processing overview, 43 Imaging, 37 LPI, 37 Pictor, 37 Pictor Guiding, 38 Julian Date, JD, 14 Julian Ephemeris Day, JDE, 14 Location saving current values, 15 setting, 15 Magnitude limiting, 22 Night Vision, 41 Object centering, 25 description, 25 Object selection, 21 Options, 22, 41 Precision apparent, 24 astrometric, 24 geocentric, 23 geometric, 24 selecting, 23 topocentric, 23 Print command, 11 printer setup, 11 Projections azimuthal equidistant, 23 spherical, 23 Reset Parameters, 24 Scaling linear, 43 Setup, 6 Starmap, 19 animation, 19 changing field of view, 22 enabling, 19 magnitude limiting, 22 mirroring, 22 object selection, 21 options, 22 previous view, 19 redrawing, 19 setting distance reference, 25 viewpoint, 20 Starmap Utilities, 25 Starmap Utilties Add to User Data, 25 Auto To Tour, 27 Center Object, 25 Create Tour, 26 Object Description, 25 Set Distance Ref, 25 Show Image, 26 Slew Telescope, 26 Sync Telescope, 26 View Log, 26 System Requirements, 5 Tables rebuilding, 12 Telescope, 29 Auto Track, 33 Communications, 33 Comm Port Setup, 34 Start Network Server, 33 Test Comm Port, 35 Control Panel, 32 Observatory Control, 35 protocol, 29 Port Sharing, 30 via Comm Port, 29 via modem, 29 via Network, 30 Protocol Remote Handbox, 31 Scope Settings, 33 Talking Scope, 32 telescope field of view, 30 Time, 13 local mean solar, 13 local sidereal, 14

Meade LPI Camera Program

The Basics

Parts Listing

When first opening the packing box, note carefully the following parts: LPI camera Parfocal ring USB cable DB-9 to RJ-11 adapter LX200 serial cable Autostar #497 serial cable CD ROM, including the Operating Instruction in.pdf format
Recommended Minimum System: PC running Windows 98SE with 64 MB and 100 MB free disk space.
To get the best view and resolution for the images in this manual, zoom in to 200% using the viewing controls in the Acrobat Reader control bar.
Install the Autostar Suite Software
The following procedure is also found on the printed Quick Start Guide supplied with this product. Before you can operate the LPI camera, you must install the Autostar Suite software. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Do not plug the USB cable into your PC at this time. You will be asked to do so later in this installation. Turn on your PC. Allow Windows to load. Place the CD ROM into your PC's CD drive. The Main Menu screen displays. Click "Install Autostar Suite." You are prompted to choose a directory in which to install the driver. You may accept the default directory or create your own directory path. Click Next when done. The Select Components window displays. This window allows you to choose whether or not to install the Guide Star Catalog. Note: This is an optional catalog that may be used by the Planetarium program and contains all of the locations of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Guide stars. This file is very large and takes up a large amount of memory. Only download if you have enough memory or wish to use this amount of memory of your hard drive. Memory totals for the file and your hard drive are displayed in this window. If you wish to install the catalog, check the GSC check box. If you do not wish to install the catalog, uncheck the GSC check box. Then click Next. The Start Installation window displays. The program is now ready to install the Autostar Suite. Click "Next to begin installation. The Microsoft Text to Speech Engine window displays. Click "Yes to agree to the terms and to continue with the installation. The Microsoft.Net Framework installation window displays. You must click Yes for the LPI to operate. Once.Net Framework installs, the.Net Framework agreement displays. Click OK to continue. A window displays that allows you to install Adobe Acrobat Reader if you do not already have it installed on your PC. Click Yes or No. The InstallShield Wizard for the Meade LPI displays. Click "Next. A window displays prompting you to do a complete or custom install of InstallShield Wizard. Click on the Complete button and then click Install to begin installation. (XP versions only) Windows Logo Test window displays. Clicking Continue Anyway will install a driver that should operate with most PC configurations. InstallShield Wizard completes installation. Click Finish. A window displays that tells you that Autostar Suite has been installed. Click Finish.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Connect The LPI Camera to Your PC
To connect the LPI Camera to your PC, you need to install the LPI device driver and connect the USB cable: 1. 2. 3. 4. Connect one end of the USB Cable to the LPI camera. Connect the other end of the USB Cable to your PC or to a USB hub. Found camera displays at the bottom right of your PC screen. The Hardware Wizard window displays. The Install Software selection is checked as the default choice. Click Next. The Wizard searches for the driver. 5. (XP versions only) Windows Logo Test window displays. Clicking Continue Anyway will install a driver that should operate with most PC configurations. 6. The driver is installed. Click Finish. The camera driver is now installed and your PC will now be able to recognize the LPI whenever you connect it to the PC.

Start the Suite Software

If the Autostar Suite icon doesnt appear on your desktop, you can start the Autostar Suite program by going to Start/Program/Meade/Autostar Suite. The Planetarium program will display. You can open other programs of the Suite by going to the Image menu and selecting the desired program. You can open the Operating Instruction manuals or the Meade General Catalog by selecting them from the Main Menu screen of the CD ROM. Click the word Meade in the Main Menu or in the General catalog to go www.meade.com.
Connect the LPI Camera to Your Telescope
To connect the LPI camera to an ETX Telescope: Orient the LPI camera into the eyepiece holder so that the USB cable points at the front end of the telescopes optical tube (see photo at right). If you are using the ETX in a straight-through configuration, orient the LPI camera in the holder so that the USB cable points downward. To connect the LPI camera to an LX-200 or LX-90 Telescope: Orient the LPI camera into the eyepiece holder so that the USB cable points downward. To connect the LPI camera to other telescopes: Move the LPI camera around in the eyepiece holder until the image on the LPI display screen (17) is upright. To connect the LPI camera when using an autoguider: Go to the Object box and choose Autoguide from the list ( see pages 25 and 26 for more information). Enter comm port number and other information. Attach the correct serial cable from the telescopes control panel RS-232 port to the comm port of your PC (see the Autoguider instruction sheet for more information). Also see Autoguider, page 25, for more information.
Cable points at front of tube

Open the LPI Program

To open the LPI Imaging program, go to the Image menu of the Planetarium program and select LPI Imaging.
The LPI program will display.

LPI Controls

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Key to LPI Controls

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Gain and Offset sliders Expose control Auto Adj (Auto Adjust) button Mono (Black and white) check box Live Image check box Dark Sub check box Status box Take Pictures, Settings tabs Align & Combine, Filter controls Object Type combo box Object Name box File Type combo box Save Every Image check box Start/Stop button Image Acquire status bars Stats, Files tabs 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. Help, Live, File Names tabs Histogram display Histogram sliders and controls Log check box ROI check box Magic Eye Focus display Avg (Average), Reset check boxes Status display Image display Image directory field & Browse button Dark Frames directory field & Browse button Open button Close button Tracking box Centroid
Throughout this manual, any number that is displayed in parentheses, refers to key above. For example, (3) refers to the Auto Adjust button and (14) refers to the Start/Stop button.

Start Taking Pictures1

Once you have connected your camera to the computer and opened the LPI program, youll want to start taking pictures. Follow the steps below to start taking simple pictures with your LPI camera. We recommend that the first time you take pictures, you do so during daylight hours. Point your telescope at a stationary landmark, such as a building, telephone pole or so forthtrees and other objects that move slightly are not the best objects to use during your first image tests. 1. Click on the Auto Adj button (3). See Auto Adjust Button, page 16, for more information. 2. Click on the combo box controls in the Object field (10) to display a list of object types. Scroll down the list and select Terrestrial. See Object, page 17, for more information. 3. Type a name for the object in the Object Name box (11). This will be used as the image file name. See Object Name, page 18, for more information. 4. Click on the combo box controls in the File Type field (12) and select JPEG. See File Type, page 18, for more information.
5. Click on the Live tab (17). See Live Image Check Box, page 16, for more information. more.

Start Taking Pictures2

6. An image should be already displayed on the screen (25). Use the focuser on your telescope to focus the object. Notice that in the Magic Eye Focus field (22), that two triangles are displayed and change their size. The Magic Eye Focus will help you focus your image; see Magic Eye Focus, page 21, for more information. If you are having a lot of problems focusing your image, see The Parfocal Ring, pages 14-15.

7. Click Start (14). The camera begins taking pictures and will continue to do so until you click on Stop. Watch the Status box (24) in the bottom left-hand corner. When Images reaches 50, click the Stop button (14). Go to the next page to find out what the program is doing once you press Start.
What Happens When You Press Start1
The live image is displayed on the programs display screen if the Live box is checked and the Live tab is selected (these are the default settings). When you press Start, the LPI camera begins taking images and continues to take images until you press stop. The LPI program uses the first 10 images it takes as a baseline to compare with the images it takes subsequently. In other words, the program is always comparing images. Note: The user can change the amount of images that the program uses as a baseline. See Evaluation Count, page 17, for more information. The program takes images with the best contrast and quality and assembles the best of these images into one image; this image is referred to as the composite image in this manual. After you press the Start button, the composite image is displayed as a new tab above the display screen. When you press Stop and select this tab, the final version of the composite image is displayed. After about 10 images are taken, the LPI program applies a sharpening filter to the composite image. You can choose which sharpening filter you wish to use from the most to the least sharp, or none. You can change the filter setting while the camera is taking pictures. See Kernel Filter, page 17, for more information. Further image enhancement or filtering may be performed in other image editing software, such as the supplied Image Processing software or Adobe Photoshop. Make sure you select an image type that can be opened (such as JPEG or BMP) by the Image Editing software.
What Happens When You Press Start2
The LPI program is continually resaving the composite image. If the Save Every Image box is checked, the program will save every image that added to the composite image (see pages 17-19 for more information). If your PC crashes or loses power, the images that have been taken up to the time of the crash or power loss will automatically be savedthe user does not need to save them manually. The LPI program continues to composite the image until you press the Stop button. Typically, about 50 images are needed to get a high quality composite image. After 50 images, the quality of the image increases only in small amounts; about 90% of the quality level will have been accumulated with about 50 images. When you press Start again, the LPI program begins to accumulate a new composite image and renames the image in a new tab. For example, if you named the first image Building, the next images will be named Building 2, then Building 3 and so forth, so that it doesnt overwrite the previously saved images. If a name/number was previously saved as a file name, the program will choose the next available number. For example, if Building 7 was previously saved, the next file will be named Building 8. Note that controls that are not currently available are grayed out.

The Parfocal Ring1

It is extremely useful to have the LPI camera and a telescope eyepiece be parfocalit will save you time when you need to refocus. Parfocal means setting two or more eyepieces to the same focus. (In this case, one eyepiece is a camera.) In other words, if you focus one eyepiece in your telescope, then you remove it and replace it with a parfocal eyepiece, the parfocal eyepiece will require little, if any, refocusing. The following procedure will show you how to make your LPI camera parfocal with a low-power wide-field 25mm or 26mm eyepiece (do not perform this procedure with a high-power eyepiece). Use the supplied parfocal ring and perform the procedure during the daytime.

The Parfocal Ring2

1. Open the LPI program. 2. Insert the LPI camera into the telescope eyepiece holder. Do not tighten the eyepiece holder thumbscrew. Make sure the LPI camera slides down as far as it will go into the eyepiece holder. 3. Point the telescope at a terrestrial object that has a lot of contrast with the surrounding area and if possible, has a distinctive edge (like a building, for example). 4. If you have previously moved the histogram sliders, move the top slider to the 0 position (move all the way to the left) and move the bottom slider to the 256 position (move all the way to the right). 5. Click on the Auto Adj. (3) button. 6. An image which may be or may not be focused appears on the display screen. 7. Use the telescopes focuser to get a rough focus of the object. Be patient. You may have to rotate the focuser back and forth until you can achieve focus of the image. 8. When the image is roughly in focus, remove the camera from the eyepiece. 9. Place the supplied parfocal ring over the bottom chrome tubing of the eyepiece. Do not tighten the ring. 10. Place the eyepiece and tubing into the eyepiece holder. Do not tighten any of the thumbscrews yet. See photo at right. 11. Do not use the telescope focuser in this step. Lift the eyepiece (but not the parfocal ring) until the object is focused. 12. When the object is focused, tighten the parfocal ring. The eyepiece is now parfocal with the LPI camera. Do not remove or change the position of the parfocal ring or you will need to repeat the procedure. Now, instead of focusing the camera with the telescope focuser (which is somewhat difficult and time consuming), insert in the eye piece/parfocal assembly and focus the eyepiece as you normally would. Then remove the eyepiece and replace the camera. Youll find that the camera is focused and may need only minor focuser adjustment.

Automatic Adjustment Controls
Gain and Offset sliders (1): Similar to a TV sets contrast and brightness controls. These controls are automatically set after you pick an Object (10) type and click on the Auto Adj. button (3). Most users will seldom, if ever, need to set these controls manually. Auto Adj. button (3): Automatically sets the Gain and Offset controls(1) and the Exposure setting (2) for the camera. Before taking pictures, choose an Object (10) type and click on the Auto Adj. button. This will adjust the camera to give you the typical contrast and brightness you need to take pictures for the type of object you have selected. You can further adjust the picture by adjusting the Exposure (2) setting, Histogram sliders (19), Filters (9) and focusing the telescope (see Magic Eye Focus, page 21, for more information). Exposure setting (2): Use the spin buttons to change the camera exposure (either up or down) by increments of 0.5 f/stop. Mono check box (4): Check this box to take a black and white picture. Status box (7): Displays status of Automatic Adjustment control operations. Live Image check box (5): Click to display live camera image in the Image Display (25). Dark Sub check box (6): See Dark Frames, page 27, for more information.
Image Processing Controls1
Take Picture Tab (8): Click on the Take Picture Tab to display the Take Picture controls. Setting Tab (8): Click on the Setting Tab to display the Setting controls. Align and Combine (9): Selects a minimum quality level that is acceptable when images are added together to produce the composite image. Typically 50% is selected. You may wish to set it lower (e.g., 30%) if you have an image that has a lot of turbulence or other noise, but should try adjusting other controls first, such as the Exposure (2) setting, Histogram sliders (19) and Filters (9). Also try refocusing the telescope. Object (10): Displays a list of objects to view, such as Mars, the Moon, terrestrial, etc. Adjusts some of the image processing settings to preset levels that will assist you in better quality images for the select object. Also Take Dark is on this list; see Dark Frames, page 27, for more information. Click on the Min Quality % spin box to change the minimum quality level. Evaluation Count allows you change number of images accumulated and evaluated to determine a quality baseline when the Start button is pressed. Normally, 10 images are evaluated (this is the default number). Click in the spin box to change the number of images used. Track check box: Check this box if you wish to have the ROI track the centroid. See Tracking Boxes and Centroids, page 23, and ROI, page 24, for further information. Combine check box: Normally, you will leave this box checked. If you wish to take raw images that are not combined into a composite image (you may wish to process the images yourself), uncheck this box and check the Save Every Image box. The LPI camera will take images and save them in the Image directory. Kernel Filter: The chosen sharpening filter is applied to the composite image as it is saved and is displayed in the live Display Image after about 10 images are accumulated. 3 levels of sharp filters, 1 edge only filter and None (no filter) are available.

Image Processing Controls2
Object Name (11): Type in a name for the object. Each time the LPI program begins to accumulate a new composite image, it renumbers the image in a new tab, using your original name. For example, if you named the first image Building, the next images will be named Building 2, then Building 3 and so forth, so that it doesnt overwrite the previously saved images. If a name/number was previously saved as a file name, the program will choose the next available number. For example, if Building 7 was previously saved, the next file will be named Building 8 and will not overwrite the file Building 7. File Type (12): Click on the combo box controls in the File Type field (12) to select the type of file format in which to save your picture. Beginners are recommended to save their pictures in Jpeg format. However, if you wish to perform further image processing, select BMP or Fits. The last two formats, Fits and Fits3P are raw formats, are for use by advanced users. Tif files usually take up the most memory, but may be a useful format if you plan to use Adobe Photoshop. Save Every Image check box (13): Normally images are added together make up a composite image or if they have too low of a quality level, they may be discarded. However, you may choose to save every composite image the camera creates by checking the Save Every Image check box along with checking the Combine check box (see page 17 for more information). These images are not displayed as separate images; only the last saved composite image is displayed. These files are stored in the directory you have chosen using the Image Directory field or the default directory chosen by the program during installation. If you wish to view any of these files, Click on the Open button (28), and then choose the file from the directory. If you uncheck the Combine Box, but keep the Save Every image box checked, the program does not combine any images to create a composite image, but saves every picture. If you set the Min Quality % box to zero (0), every picture will be saved also. The number of images the camera takes is displayed in the Status Displays (24) and the name on the File Name tabs (17) change with each new composite picture. Start/Stop button (14): Press to start or stop the camera taking pictures. See What Happens When You Press Start, page10, for more information.

Image Processing Controls3
Image Acquire Status bars (15): Display while the LPI camera is taking pictures.
Image Directory field and Browse button (26): You may select the directory in which to save your images. Click on the Browse button to locate a directory or type in a directory path in the field. Or you may just type in the directory name in the field. If you type in a new directory, the directory will be created when the first image is saved. Dark Frames Directory field and Browse button (27): You may select the directory in which to save your Dark Sub. images. Click on the Browse button to locate a directory or type in a directory path in the field. Or you may just type in the directory name in the field. If you type in a new directory, the directory will be created when the first image is saved.

File Settings Tab

Open button (28): Allows you to open a file you have previously created. Click on this button and your directory list displays. Choose the desired file and it opens as a tab above the Image Display window. See diagram below.

Scroll Arrows

Notice that there are scroll arrows (see diagram above) at the end of the tab row. Click on these arrows to display more composite image file tabs. Close (29): Allows you to close a composite image file tab. First click on the tab you wish to close, then click on the Close button to close the file.

Magic Eye Focus

The Magic Eye Focus displays a graphic representation of the focus as you adjust your telescopes focuser. The orange triangles grow together to indicate better focus. The red lines indicate maximum focus levels.
Avg (Average) check box: Check to average the last 5 focus values to smooth out noisy images. Note, however, that this makes the focus response more sluggish. Reset button: Resets the red maximum indicators.

LPI Camera Program

Advanced Concepts
Tracking Boxes and Centroids
Drawing a tracking box allows you to track (that is, to follow) a bright spot that is surrounded by a dark area. This is very much like your telescopes tracking feature. A centroid is the spot where the crosshairs meet. You can use the centroids to help you center an object in a box. The centroid is used for shifting an image before it is combined in a composite image, and also is used for autoguiding. To create a tracking box, just use the cursor to draw a box around an object. For your first tests of this feature, try to choose an object that is bright and has a dark area surrounding it. You can experiment with this as you get familiar with the function. Check the Track box; the box now moves to keep the object centered. If youre tracking a crater on the moon, draw the box about the center or a bright spot in a crater. Normally, you will check the Track box. However, if youre imaging the moon or a terrestrial object, uncheck the Track box. The box will now remain stationary, but the centroid will follow the bright spots (but wont move the box location on the screen). You can turn tracking on and off while you are creating a composite image.

Histogram Display and Controls
The Histogram controls allow you more control of the brightness, contrast and mid-range tones of your LPI camera. Experiment with these controls. Select an easily focused terrestrial image and adjust the Histogram sliders. You will notice the Live image growing brighter or darker, and even notice mid-tones becoming more visible. You will have to adjust these sliders differently for each object and can adjust the sliders on the fly as you are creating a composite image. Note: The effect of the sliders is saved in all file types, except fits and fits3P. LOG check box: Makes the Histogram response logarithmic. ROI: Creates a histogram for just the part of an image that is inside a tracking box.

Autoguider1

For users familiar with the product, the LPI camera functions in a manner similar to the Meade Pictor 201XT CCD Autoguider. An autoguider helps keep an object centered so that a 35mm camera can take long exposures of an image. Note that you do not have to set the LPI camera for a long exposure using Exposure controls (2). Autoguiding is used typically with telescope mounted in the equatorial mode, although it can also be used with LX200GPS Telescope mounted in the alt/az mode. To use the LPI camera as an autoguider, perform the following procedure. You will need an off-axis guider (see the Meade General Catalog for more information) and the supplied serial cable that is appropriate for your model telescope. You will also need to know the focal length of your telescope. 1. Attach the off-axis guider and your 35mm camera to your telescope as described in that products instruction manual. Insert and tighten the LPI imager into the eyepiece holder. 2. Go to the Object box and choose Autoguide from the list. 3. Attach one end of the serial cable to one of your PCs comm ports and the other end to the telescopes RS-232 port. 4. Select the Comm port number from Comm Port box. 5. Click the Chk Scope button. If there is an error (cable, version, port, etc.), an error message displays. Check to make sure your cable is properly attached, that you have the correct port number selected and so forth. If the telescope connection is verified, you will receive a passed message. more.

Autoguider2

6. In the Focal Length field, type in the focal length of your telescope. 7. Locate a star using your telescopes alignment and Go To procedures. Focus and prepare the imager as described earlier in this manual. 8. Draw a tracking box around the star. 9. Click the Start button. 10. When you click on the Start button, the program begins to calibrate. It then begins to autoguide your telescope and displays X and Y error coordinates in the Status Display box (24). 11. Click the Abort button (the Start button renamed) when you are finished. If you dont move your telescope or rotate the guider assembly, you do not need to recalibrate. However, if you wish to recalibrate, click on the Reset Cal button. Note that you do not need to check the Track button to use this feature.

Dark Frames1

Dark Frames is a useful feature for if youre taking exposures longer than 1 second. Longer exposures and temperature can create noise in your LPI camera called dark current artifacts. The Dark Frames feature allows you to subtract out some of this noise from your pictures. Perform the Dark Frames features at night. If the temperature changes significantly during your observing session, you should repeat this procedure. To perform the dark Frames procedure: 1. Select Take Dark in the Object type combo box (10). The Dark Frame Exposure controls display. 2. Select a range of exposure time. For example, if the length of your exposures will be between 2 and 5 seconds, set the First Exp (Exposure) box for 2 seconds and the Last Exp box for 5 seconds. The LPI program will then take a series of dark frames image files between 2 seconds and 5 seconds in length at approximately 0.5 f/stop intervals (about 1.4 seconds apart). Later, when you set your camera exposure time (see Step 6 below), the LPI program will automatically select the Dark Frame file with the closest exposure length, scale it to the actual exposure time and apply it to the image you are taking. In effect, it subtracts out the dark current artifacts. more.

Dark Frames2

3. Select a value for the Avg Exp box. This is the number of exposures that are averaged together to create each composite Dark Frame exposure. Typically, set this value to 10. 4. Click on the Setting tab (9). The Dark Frames directory field displays. The Dark Frames will be saved to this directory. You may change the directory if you wish. 5. Click the Start button (14). A message displays that tells you to cover up your telescope or LPI camera. Replacing the lens cap on your telescope is sufficient. The program erases all the old Dark Frames files in the directory, and takes and saves the new Dark Frames series. When all the Frames are taken, Done displays in the Status Display (24). Notice the Histogram display; it will reflect the Dark Frames that are being imaged. 6. Select an exposure in the Exposure Controls (2). The Dark Frames feature is used with Longer exposures, so your exposure time should typically be longer than 1 second. 7. Check the Dark Sub check box (6). The Dark Frames feature is automated, so Dark Frames will automatically be applied to any pictures you now take. 8. Remove the lens cap from your telescope or uncover your LPI camera. Begin taking pictures as previously described in Start Taking Pictures. (See page 10 for more information.) The Dark Frames feature is automated, so Dark Frames will automatically be applied to any pictures you now take. Note that if you are taking longer exposures, better results will be achieved with black and white (mono) images: Check the Mono check box (4).

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Meade Instruments Corporation
Worlds Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur
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