Features Introduction Menus Options Quick guide

Load image

Open image
button opens a dialog window where the user can select the image. Supported formats are bmp, jpg, tif and png.

Image scale is the resolution of the image and is expressed in arcsec/px.
Image rotation is the angle the image is rotated. A positive angle means counterclockwise rotation so,
as you can see in the picture above where the angle is -12.41 degrees, the N-S direction is rotated clockwise.
Image center are the coordinates RA, Dec of the image center.
The Plate solve button is enabled only if a valid apikey is saved and an image is loaded.
During the analysis the current operation can be checked by the progress bar and in the status bar at bottom left corner of the window.
As the process ends, the fields are filled in with the solver data. Depending on the image quality, plate solving process may take from few seconds to some
minutes.
NOTE: the plate solver is able to determine if the image loaded is mirrored over one axes. In such case a warning message will be shown.

IF THE IMAGE IS MIRRORED OVER ONE AXIS, THE COORDINATES OF THE CENTERS WILL BE WRONG

In such case use another image or try to modify the image with an editor like GIMP.
OK button confirms the values filled in.
Cancel closes without changes.

Settings

The ‘…’ button opens a dialog window to define the working folder of the program.
Under this directory the program will create three additional folders named Images,
Profiles and Projects,
where the program will point for background images, configuration presets and mosaic projects.Show N-S guideline draws a line passing over image center with North-South orientation on graphic, which can
be useful to understand image orientation when you move the mouse over the graphic area.
Use camera rotator. Select if you have a camera rotator or you want to have the angles you should rotate the camera
in each frame to get a rectangular mosaic.
Embed image in project selects if the background image will be embedded in project file.
MosaicMaker can plate solve the background image using the web service provided by Astrometry.net and fill the image information for you.
The feature requires an internet connection and a valid apikey
provided by nova.astrometry.net after registering.
Visit Astrometry web page, log in (e.g. with your google account) and navigate to My Profile page and you’ll find the apikey.
If the web is accessed through a proxy, check ‘Use proxy’ option and fill in your credential.