I really like the functionality of having an obstructed horizon file. As I start using ST4 to plan observations from other sites, I'm wondering if each site can have its own horizon file. Likely this has been discussed somewhere, but i can't find it.

If not, I guess a workaround could be to create a home_horizon.txt, darksite_horizon.txt, vacation_horizon.txt, etc. and then copy one to horizon.txt depending on where one is.

I managed to grab the 9 brighter moons of Saturn on 1st Oct 2023 from our back garden in Brisbane with my Tak Mewlon 210 F11.5, Tak x1.6 Extender and ASI2600MM Pro camera.
 
To cater for the varying brightness levels, I grabbed a series of test exposures ranging from 01 sec to 30 secs and used the following data sets to generate the final composite image using Layers In PS CC to blend the 3 sets of images together.
 
05 secs x 30 frames 11:00pm to 11:04pm AEST (UT+10).
15 secs x 30 frames 11:11pm to 11:20pm AEST(UT+10).
02 secs x21 frames 11:28pm to 11:30pm AEST(UT+10).
 
SkyTools 4 Imaging provides the following details for 11:15pm AEST (UT+10).
 
Saturn at Magnitude: 0.54
 
Satellites:
Name      Mag   PA°    Sep"
Mimas     13.0 271.9   27.5
Enceladus 11.8 100.6   33.4
Tethys    10.3 275.0   44.6
Dione     10.5  91.5   53.2
Rhea       9.8 269.6   69.4
Titan      8.4 118.5   79.0
Hyperion  14.3 287.0  128.9
Iapetus   11.2 100.9   65.1
Phoebe    16.6 240.1  600.3
 
The image of the inner moons is a full res crop and the wider view has been resampled down to fit in Phoebe, some way away from the planet. The image of Saturn was taken with my ASI662MC and blended in over the blown out Saturn.
 
SkyTools 4 Imaging proved very useful as I could monitor the changing positions of Enceladus and Mimas in real time, as Enceladus was being increasingly swamped as it entered Saturn’s glare on the E and Mimas began to emerge from the planetary glare on the W.
 
Dennis

Full res crop of inner moons
   

Down sampled wider view to include Phoebe
   

And this is what gave me certainty that I had succeeded.
   

Hi,
even after watching some of the tutorials, I am at odds on how Skytools work. I was under the impression that I would identify a number of targets, say emission nebulae, load them up at once into the scheduler and Skytools would propose suitable targets for tonight, or any other requested night.
However, I do not seem to find a way to do this. Am I required to build a project for each and every target, even though my requirements are equal for all those targets with an export or import feature, for instance?
Thanks,
Rita

Hello everyone,

I have some sad news. One of our members, known here as blakesphere, has passed away. Blake Nancarrow was a long-time friend of SkyTools and of myself. To my wife he once described our relationship as being sort of "penpals," as we had known each other for many years without ever having met in person. He was a long-time member of the SkyTools email list that preceded these forums, more than once was an important beta tester, organized SkyTools classes for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), played a pivotal role in obtaining SkyTools 3 at a discount for club members, and it was he who ensured a place for the RASC Finest NGC Objects observing list in SkyTools.

In April of this year my wife and I decided to head up to Toronto as part of attending NEAIC/NEAF in New York. My wife suggested that I reach out to Blake to see if he'd be available to finally meet in person. We met Blake for breakfast in downtown Toronto, a city he clearly loved. It was during breakfast that he revealed his cancer diagnosis, and I recall looking into his eyes across the table knowing that it was terminal, and that he knew that I knew. We didn't speak of it again. During the day we spent together, Blake was a wonderful and gracious host, taking us up the CN tower where he pointed out the interesting buildings, so many of which he had taught classes in. It was a beautiful spring day, and I was impressed with how large Toronto is, stretching into the distance. He proudly referred to it as the center of the universe.

I'll never forget racing across town in our rented Tesla on a sort of treasure hunt, not sure exactly what he was up to. First to a RASC member's home to pick up keys, and then off to the historic David Dunlap Observatory, where he gave us the grand tour. DDO is one of the great observatories constructed in the 1930's. I love astronomy history and relished the chance to visit. Before I knew it, Blake was teaching a class - instructing me how to set up and put away the telescope! He asked that I not tell anyone or post to social media about it, because he had called in some favors and we were kind of there on the sly.  I don't think I can get him into trouble now.

Blake was a terrific guy and a wonderful teacher. I am so grateful for his friendship and especially for the day we spent together, only a few months ago. I will always cherish both.

   

Hello,

I have only been using skytools for 2 days, so forgive me if my questions are idiotic.
I have a fair bit of the sky obstructed at home, and the clear bit is roughly west-north-northeast, that would correspond to 270-0-70 degrees (horizontal coordinates of Alt/Az).
It is, therefore, important when selecting new targets that I have that into consideration.
For now I haven´t introduced the data for the obstruction.
What is the best way to do so? When I choose to display in target list some vey obvious objects like Arcturus or Altair, the Alt/Az coordinates displayed do not seem correct. There is probably some tweaking I am missing.
Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rita

I'm going to be at Okie-Tex next Saturday through Tuesday. I'd love to see some of you there and hear your perspectives on amateur astronomy. I am also doing the first talk on Tuesday.

I have been trying to research Bernes 47 and 48 on the internet - unsuccessfully.  How do I find copies of the Bernes catalogues?  

Actually, it would be great if Sky Tools had links to all the catalogues it uses

Thanks,
Rich

Hi Greg,

(writing live from the observatory). Is there a way to quickly turn off and on the labels in the EV screen? I know it's possible to do it by going to the view controls, then the Labels tab, then click on the Activate Labels checkbox, then click on Apply then closing the window. I'm asking if there's a faster (ideally one keyboard shortcut) way.

The rationale is when the labels (useful as they are) stand in the way of seeing the star pattern (useful with more obscure open clusters, for instance). Perhaps a more generalized way would be not only labels on/off, but anything else (FOV circles, target crosshair) except the atlas itself to be on/off. 

Just asking if it's possible. 

Thanks.

After watching an enthralling Netflix documentary covering the James Webb Space Telescope, (JWST), I opened the JPL Horizons Web Application and searched for the JWST.

The ephemeris from JPL Horizons indicated that the JWST would be high up in the skies, located in the constellation of Sagittarius. Even better, outside, the skies were clear.

I managed to collect 5 sets of image runs, whilst dodging some intermittent thin, wispy clouds.

• Run 02 - 60 frames 8:07PM to 9:08PM AEST (UT+10)
  
• Run 03 - 57 frames 9:15PM to 10:13PM AEST (UT+10)
  
• Run 04 - 48 frames 10:223PM to 11:11PM AEST (UT+10)
  
• Run 05 - 60 frames 11:13PM to 00:14AM AEST (UT+10)
  
• Run 06 - 60 frames 00:26AM to 01:27AM AEST (UT+10)
  

• Tak Mewlon 210 F11.5
  
• Tak x0.8 Reducer/Flattener
  
• QHY268M Camera
  
• Scale: 0.726 arcseconds/pixel
  
• 2137mm F10.2
  
• 14th – 15th August 2023
  
• Brisbane, QLD
  

Yesterday I spotted a new bright comet on the PCCP, so I quickly made a reservation to image it this morning from Chile. Glen has the story of how I did it.