PCL: Comet Alignment module

[NKV]

Hello everyone.

There are many topics about Comet preprocessing. click, click, click... but I don't found any useful tools for automation.

So, I start writing the CometAlignment modul.

How it's working:
1) Add star registered images with DATE-OBS keywords.
2) Click "Show" and click on comet in first and last images. Module must detect centroid coordinates. Use Ctrl to disable centroid detection. Also you can enter coordinates or comet velocity manually.
3) Apply. The module will shift the image in accordance with the DATE-OBS in FITS Keywords and with selected reference image.

Best regards,
Nikolay.

Version history:

v.1.0.0.0002
+ Support for RAW images. Note: while original MetaData unaccessible inside PI, I use FileLastModificationDate.
    For RAW images( which impossible to modify )  FileLastModificationDate equal to DATE-OBS + Exposure and equal to time when exposure ended. So FileLastModificationDate can be used if DATE-OBS FitKeyword and MetaData unavailable.

v.1.0.0.0003 Minor code improvements.
v.1.0.0.0004 BugFix: module skip all images if first Image disabled. fixed.
v.1.0.1.0001 + pixels/hour core movement parameter. BugFix: interpolation method was ignored - fixed.
v.1.0.2.0001 BugFix: process icon problem(impossible to load process icon) - fixed.
v.1.0.3.0001 PI 1.8 PCL2.0.
v.1.0.4.0001 BugFix: support for date format 'yyyy-mm-dd' and 'yyyy-mm-ddTHH:MM:SS'

Sources code for PI 1.7:
v.1.0.2.0001

Sources code for PI 1.8 PCL2.0.2:
v.1.0.4.0001

Bin for PI 1.7.x:
Linux x32
Linux x64
Win x32
Win x64

[Christoph Puetz]

Great work !
Can't wait to test oder use it.

[skoop]

I am sitting here and looking at my comet frames from last night... and waiting for your script
No pressure

[Christoph Puetz]

Hi Nikolay,

nice work.
Unfortunately, Canon DSLR users don't have the DATE-OBS keyword in their fits files, as they seem not to be
implemented during RAW->Fits conversion.
I don't know if you are calculating with the fits header data (except maybe to get the files in the right order).
As a proposal : If there is no DATE-OBS header in the fits files, could you simply use the order of files, as the user
entered it ? DSLR Users also do a straight forward exposure sequence of 60 - 100 Files (and this is quite "crispy",
to enter the fitsheader by hand for each single frame or to spend lots of money for doing this with another application) ?

Just an idea ....

Christoph

[NKV]

Unfortunately, Canon DSLR users don't have the DATE-OBS keyword in their fits files, as they seem not to be
implemented during RAW->Fits conversion.

Christoph, it's not my problem... it's RAW->Fits problem, so it's Juan problem
Push Juan please. I push him every time when i do some thing in other astronomical software.
For example you can convert your RAW to Fits in MaximDL. Juan!!! Attention!!!

[skoop]

Any plans to release it for Linux?

[NKV]

Any plans to release it for Linux?

Added. See first post.

PS Juan, thank you for Endor PixInsight File Server

[NKV]

v.1.0.0.0002
+ Support for RAW images. Note: while original MetaData unaccessible inside PI, I use FileLastModificationDate.
    For RAW images( which impossible to modify )  FileLastModificationDate equal to DATE-OBS + Exposure and equal to time when exposure ended. So FileLastModificationDate can be used if DATE-OBS FitKeyword and MetaData unavailable.

[Juan Conejero]

Hi all,

so it's Juan problem

Problem? did I hear problem? Problem solved!

FileLastModificationDate equal to DATE-OBS + Exposure

Nice trick The latest version of the DSLR_RAW module, which I have just released as an update, simulates DATE-OBS keywords (along with a few more ones), so this is no longer needed. Sorry for taking so long to solve this issue. Your module, as usual, is absolutely terrific.

[NKV]

The latest version of the DSLR_RAW module, which I have just released as an update, simulates DATE-OBS keywords (along with a few more ones), so this is no longer needed.

Cool! Thank you. OK, i will remove the feature.
In any case, the module is checked for FitKeyword. Therefore, the module will work with any version of DSLR_RAW.

[ugatza]

I´ve installed the module in C:\Archivos de programa\PixInsight\bin and reboot the pc, but when I open Pixinsight isn´t appear the "comet alignment" with other modules, like GradientMergeMosaic. Any help?

[Alejandro Tombolini]

I´ve installed the module in C:\Archivos de programa\PixInsight\bin and reboot the pc, but when I open Pixinsight isn´t appear the "comet alignment" with other modules, like GradientMergeMosaic. Any help?

Go to Process>Modules>Install Modules...> and Search in .../PixInsight/bin

Saludos. Alejandro.

[ugatza]

Thank you very much, Alejandro. Now I´ve installed the module. I´ll test it.

[NKV]

I ask you, because I used StarDetection method from DynamicPSF module.
Can I open source code or not?

If you have used only the star detection routine, then yes, you can open it. In fact I'll probably open this and other parts of StarAlignment/DynamicPSF soon.

Thank you! I added link to sources in first post.

Best regards,
Nikolay.

[skoop]

Excellent module! Thank you.
Here is my first comet image ever
Garradd C/2009 P1 

Taken from city apartment, trough skyline window. 13x90 sec.