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Lunar Eclipse pics alignment

Arthur Trail
in PixInsight
Is there any easy way to use PI to align my lunar eclipse pics so I can create a timelapse video?

Thanks!

Art

Comments

  • BlockHeadBlockHead
    Hi Arthur,

    Yes there is! It is a clever little trick that I do not believe anyone has ever demonstrated.
    Would it be possible for me to show the answer with your images?

    -the Blockhead
  • Arthur Trail
    Sure! Just let me know how I can getr them to you. I am FTP proficient if that is an option.
  • BlockHeadBlockHead
    If you can make them available to me at any cloud server (Google Drive, OneDrive...etc etc). Then I can just grab them. Be certain to make the link you generate "permissions to share for anyone that has the link."

    Thanks!!
    -the BLockhead
  • Arthur Trail
    Here's the link, Adam:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KUt0WR6WjGKwycG_6cEMjnTV5bhSxmmX/view?usp=drive_link

    Thanks!
  • BlockHeadBlockHead
    Hi Arthur,

    Wow...that was a little tough. Somehow the files were compressed with something that I do not have (not common). I was able to open them eventually. Unfortunately the files you gave me are not raw? It appears they do come from a camera...but by saving them as PNG it loses the header information.

    Do you have the camera images?

    Can you please share just the folder where you put the files on google...don't ZIP them... 

    -the Blockhead
  • Arthur Trail
    Will do. Sorry about that....

  • Arthur Trail
    Ok Adam, let's try this again:

  • BlockHeadBlockHead
    Sorry Arthur. I fear this is simply manual alignment. I do not know of any program that will do the job with your data.

    When you take images of some events or objects- sometimes you need to think about the processing consequences when you set up the exposures. (I don't think you did that?). This is a good example. Because you took the images on a non-equatorial set up the image of the moon rotates. This means you need to align in both translation and rotation. By capturing the images on a polar aligned and tracking platform the rotation is eliminated. 

    The other acquisition necessity for this data is you need to have reference points visible throughout the eclipse. Even acquired as you did- if the exposures were taken in such a way that some references were visible throughout the eclipse (yes, this is possible)- then you can use them for alignment.

    I am guessing you are using a 12-bit DSLR (if you are using a 14-bit, it will make my case even stronger). Your partial phases have counts of where the moon is bright of only a few hundred (200-400 counts)... but you have 4096 counts to work with. If you had exposed longer you could see both stuff in the shadowed area *and* stuff in the bright side through the eclipse making alignment easier/possible.

    Those are my thoughts... sorry, I can't use this as an example other than manually aligning... and likely in a program like Photoshop.

    -the Blockhead

  • Arthur Trail
    Yeah, I know I need to upgrade to an EQ. I will pursue manual alignment further. Thank you for your time, Adam!
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