At least for me, the Image Plate Solver Script works at best intermittently as compared to PinPoint in Maxim DL which works nearly all the time -- even with poor subs. I attached a very low quality jpg of the stretched sub as I can only upload a max 512k file. I have purposely attached an example of an imperfect sub (with elongated stars and imperfect focus) which PinPoint solves immediately but Plate Solver fails to solve. I also attached my script settings and included outputs from both PinPoint and the Image Solver Script. I have tried changing star sensitivity and noise with no change in outcome. Am I doing something wrong?? Any help is appreciated. If it would be helpful I could share the actual fits file on dropbox.
--Rich
PS: I realize the sub is NOT good but PinPoint solves it easily.
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Pinpoint Results:
Locating stars in image
Solving using 2024 image and 157 catalog stars
Looking up stars in catalog
Solving using 2024 image and 157 catalog stars
Matched 91 of 2024 image and 157 catalog stars;
Average residual 0.2 arcsec; order 4
RA 20h 58m 38.3s, Dec +43° 55' 10.0"
Pos Angle +00° 03.4', FL 1563.6 mm, 0.50"/Pixel
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run --execute-mode=auto "C:/Program Files/PixInsight/src/scripts/AdP/ImageSolver.js"
Processing script file: C:/Program Files/PixInsight/src/scripts/AdP/ImageSolver.js
********************************
Processing image C:/Users/xxx/Desktop/TestImage.fit
Reading image:
C:/Users/xxx/Desktop/TestImage.fit
** Warning: Deprecated format: FITS
56 FITS keywords extracted.
Reading FITS image: 16-bit integers, 1 channel(s), 4656x3520 pixels: done
* Using an automatically calculated limit magnitude of 15.68.
* Using the automatically selected GaiaDR2 catalog.
Seed parameters for plate solving:
Image coordinates: RA = 20 58 34.000, Dec = +43 53 20.00
Resolution: 0.499 as/px
Starting StarAlignment iteration
Catalog Gaia DR2 already loaded.
Catalog Gaia DR2 size: 4255 objects
Using the triangle similarity star matching algorithm.
StarAlignment: Processing view: TestImage1
C:/Users/xxx/AppData/Local/Temp/stars.csv:
Scanning star data: done
682 stars.
TestImage1:
Structure map: done
Detecting stars: done
Fitting 122 stars: done
34 PSF fits.
Matching stars: done
28 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #2
useScaleDifferences=true
Matching stars: done
23 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #3
useScaleDifferences=false
* Reference image: Limiting to 250 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
26 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #4
useScaleDifferences=true
* Reference image: Limiting to 250 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
28 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #5
useScaleDifferences=false
* Reference image: Limiting to 125 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
25 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #6
useScaleDifferences=true
* Reference image: Limiting to 125 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
21 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #7
useScaleDifferences=false
* Reference image: Limiting to 60 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
19 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #8
useScaleDifferences=true
* Reference image: Limiting to 60 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
16 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #9
useScaleDifferences=false
* Reference image: Limiting to 30 brightest stars.
* Target image: Limiting to 30 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
12 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #10
useScaleDifferences=true
* Reference image: Limiting to 30 brightest stars.
* Target image: Limiting to 30 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
11 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #11
useScaleDifferences=false
* Reference image: Limiting to 15 brightest stars.
* Target image: Limiting to 15 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
*** 3 star pair matches found - need at least six matched stars.
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #12
useScaleDifferences=true
* Reference image: Limiting to 15 brightest stars.
* Target image: Limiting to 15 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
*** 0 star pair matches found - need at least six matched stars.
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #13
useScaleDifferences=false
* Reference image: Limiting to 8 brightest stars.
* Target image: Limiting to 8 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
*** 0 star pair matches found - need at least six matched stars.
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #14
useScaleDifferences=true
* Reference image: Limiting to 8 brightest stars.
* Target image: Limiting to 8 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
*** 0 star pair matches found - need at least six matched stars.
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #15
useScaleDifferences=false
* Reference image: Limiting to 500 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
26 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
* Previous attempt failed - this is try #16
useScaleDifferences=true
* Reference image: Limiting to 500 brightest stars.
Matching stars: done
22 putative star pair matches.
Performing RANSAC: done
*** Error: Unable to find an initial set of putative star pair matches.
<* failed *>
*** Error: The image could not be aligned with the reference star field
Please check the following items:
The initial coordinates should be inside the image.
The initial resolution should be within a factor of 2 from the correct value.
Adjust the star detection sensitivity parameter, so that the script can detect most of the stars in the image without mistaking noise for stars.
The catalog should be matched to the image. Choose the appropriate catalog and magnitude filter, so that the number of stars extracted from the catalog can be similar to the number of stars detected in the image.
*** Error: Unable to plate solve the image: Alignment failed
This is usually because the initial parameters are too far from the real metadata of the image.
** Warning: Process finished with errors:
TestImage.fit: The image could not be plate solved
