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A few exemple of candidate targets for a mega mosaic

• The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex
• The whole central part of Cygnus constellation ( around the star Sadr) or the tail of Scorpius which contain expansive HII regions
• The Large Magellanic Cloud
• The region spanning from the Orion Nebula to the Horsehead Nebula
• The Coalsack Nebula
• The couple Heart and Soul Nebulae
• The region spanning from the Carina Nebula to the Running Chicken Nebula including the Statue of Liberty Nebula
• The Virgo galaxy cluster
• North America and Pelican Nebulae with their surrounding HII clouds
• The couple Lobster Claw and Bubble Nebulae
• The Christmas tree cluster with the Cone and Fox Fur Nebulae plus its surrounding region
• A shot bringing together M16 and M17 Nebulae

What to expect, how demanding is it ?

Once you’ve chosen the target for your project, you must estimate how many Live Mosaics you’ll need to capture depending on the total filed of view of your mega mosaic. Then, you must determine an approximative total acquisition time. With this in mind, you can verify that you project is inline with the visibility of the object and the number of usable night you can expect.

How wide can you go ?

There’s no specific limit but the time you accept to dedicate to the project and the length of the period of visibility of your target.

The smallest mega mosaic is a composition of two Live Mosaics.

Based on a square ratio, here are the field of view of a CovalENS Live Mosaic :
for Vespera Classic : 2.4° x 2.4°
for Vespera Passengers : 4.16° x 4.16°
for Vespera II : 3.25° x 3.25°
for Vespera Pro : 3.2° x 3.2°
for Stellina : 1.7° x 1.7°

To successfully stitch two live mosaics together, they must have a shared area that the stitching software can utilize to accurately align each image, ensuring there are no gaps in the final mega mosaic. I recommend an overlap of 25% of each image (1/4th of the image) to ensure a successful stitching.

Based on this, here’s a chart recapitulating the field of view covered by a 2 to 9 panels mega mosaic

Table 1 : field of view covered by a mega mosaic.

How much time will it take ?

When it comes to building mega mosaic, we would want to always capture the biggest possible CovalENS Live Mosaic. For a good quality image, I recommend capturing at least 3 or 4 hours of data per individual CovalENS mosaic. This could represent 5 to 8 hours of real observation time each. Going longer will reward you with even better quality result.

I recommend capturing only when the object is between 25° and 70° of elevation if possible. Under 25° the atmosphere absorption start to hinder the quality of the observation. Above 70°, a good and fast tracking become challenging.

In case the target reach 70° in the middle of the night, you can split the observation into two parts, waiting it goes back down to 70° again. You can easily do this by leveraging the power of Multi-Night Observation.

You may be able to capture only one CovalENS mosaic per night (one panel of your mega mosaic).

Simulate your mega mosaic with Telescopius

The mosaic planning in Telescopius.

Here’s how you can use it to simulate your mosaic:

• In the “my equipment” section, make sure “astrophotography” is selected
• From the “toolbox” menu, choose “telescope simulator”
• Click the “target” icon and search for your target to center the map on it. You can drag around the map.
• Click the “telescope” icon and enter the focal length and aperture for your smart telescope. Refer to the table 2
• Click the “camera” icon. You are supposed to enter the size of your sensor. However, since you assemble Live Mosaics, you must dial down the virtual size of the sensor that would have been required to capture such a sized image. You will find the relevant values depending on the telescope in the table 3 (basically, this is the native sensor size multiplied by the ratio between the live mosaic field of view and the native field of view)
• Click the “mosaic” icon then set the overlap percentage and define the number of panel in order to cover the region you intend to capture
• Back to the “camera” section and set the position angle to adjust the framing orientation as desired

Table 2 : Aperture and focal length of Vaonis smart telescopes

Table 3 : Virtual sensor sizes corresponding to a live mosaic at maximum size

Capturing your mega mosaic

The crucial point is to properly capture each indivual CovalENS live mosaic to ensure they overlap and cover the desired region. Depending on how demanding you are, you have two ways to do it.

No matter which approach you choose, it’s advisable to capture a similar amount of data for each image.

The quick and dirty way

You estimate and adjust the framing of each mosaic using reference points on the simplified map provided by the Singularity interface.

Since you need to remember the framing of each individual mosaic to define the next one to capture, here’s my recommendations:

Once you’ve defined the framing for the first live mosaic (the first panel of your mega mosaic), take a screenshot to use as a reference when adjusting the framing for the second panel, ensuring they overlap correctly.

Then take a screenshot of the framing for the second panel and follow the same process for the remaining panels.

The meticulous way

If you make use of Telescopius to simulate your mega mosaic, you can retrieve the coordinates of the center of each panel.
Based on this, you can create manual targets in Singularity for each panel. Then you don’t have to care about the centering of your panels. You just have to set the size to the maximum and apply the right orientation based on Telescopius preview.

To get the coordinates of each panel from Telescopius, you must be signed in.

Once you’ve simulated your mosaic, click the “list” icon then choose “go to list” where you will find the detailed coordinates of each panel. These are the coordinates you will use to create your manual targets.

The list of your panels with their coordinates ( RA -DEC)

Processing the images (or not)

You can compose the mega mosaic with the JPEG images straight out from the telescope.
For better results, you may want to apply your own post processing and work with the TIFF RAW files.

In this tutorial, we are going to use Affinity Photo to stitch together each individual mosaic. Affinity Photo won’t be able to stitch them if you don’t apply at least a stretching to each image. Moreover, since each individual mosaic is captured on different days with varying sky conditions, you should process them to ensure they are as uniform as possible. This will guarantee better results.

Since you will have the opportunity to refine the processing once the entire mega mosaic is composed, don’t go too far in the processing of each individual mosaic.

You can check our previous blogpost about Affinity photo HERE.

Composing the mega mosaic with Affinity Photo

• From the “File” menu, choose “New Panorama”
• From the pop-up window, choose “Add”, then add to the list all the individual mosaics that will compose your mega mosaic
• Click “Assembler le panorama”
• The right side of the pop-up window displays the result as a thumbnail. If you find the result satisfactory, click “OK” to allow Affinity Photo to create the panorama
• Check if you see seams in the resulting image. If so, use the brush tool to refine the overlapping zone between each image
• Each time you edit the overlapping zone, you must press “Render” to see the result
• Once you are satisfied with the look, click “Apply”
• You can now crop your mega mosaic to eliminate the blank parts
• Fine-tune your image with further post-processing

Astrophotography is becoming increasingly popular, but one major challenge remains: light pollution. As cities grow, artificial lights brighten the sky, making it harder to observe stars, galaxies, and nebulae. While these issues are frustrating, there are ways to overcome them, allowing you to capture stunning images even in light-polluted environments.

How to Overcome Light Pollution in Astrophotography? In this guide, we’ll explore the impact of light pollution levels on astrophotography and how to use a light pollution filter to improve your images.

Understanding Light Pollution

Light pollution is the overabundance of artificial light that diminishes our ability to view the night sky. It manifests as skyglow, glare, light trespass, and clutter, all of which reduce the visibility of stars and celestial objects. As cities and suburbs expand, light pollution levels rise, making stargazing and astrophotography increasingly difficult.

The Moon can also be a source of natural light pollution. During bright phases, like the full moon, its light can wash out fainter celestial objects, reducing contrast much like artificial light does. Stargazing around the new moon helps mitigate this impact.

Impact of Light Pollution on Astrophotography

Light pollution makes astrophotography more challenging by washing out faint stars and increasing the brightness of the sky, which results in lower contrast and distorted colors. Here’s how light pollution levels affect astrophotographers:

• Reduced Visibility of Celestial Objects: Light pollution obscures faint celestial bodies such as nebulae, galaxies, and clusters.
• Skyglow: This increases background brightness, making it difficult to capture fine details.
• Star Color Distortion: Bright artificial lights can alter the natural colors of stars, leading to less vibrant images.

How to Overcome Light Pollution in Astrophotography

Despite the difficulties posed by light pollution, there are several effective strategies to help improve astrophotography, even in light-polluted areas.

1. Find Darker Sky Locations

The easiest way to counter light pollution is to move away from it. Traveling to areas with lower light pollution levels is an easy solution for better astrophotography results. Here are a few strategies for finding darker skies:

• Use Light Pollution Maps: Online tools like LightPollutionMap.info allow you to track light pollution levels globally. By consulting these maps, you can find nearby dark sky locations for better astrophotography conditions.
• Visit Dark Sky Parks: Dark Sky Parks are protected areas with minimal light pollution. These areas often offer optimal conditions for stargazing and astrophotography.
• Choose the Right Time: Plan your sessions around the new moon or in areas where the moon is below the horizon to reduce natural brightness.

2. Use a Light Pollution Filter for Astrophotography

When photographing the night sky in light-polluted environments, a light pollution filter for your telescope is invaluable. These filters are designed to block unwanted artificial light while allowing natural starlight to pass through, resulting in clearer, more detailed images. 

• Broadband Filters block a wide range of artificial light sources, like street lamps, making them versatile for general astrophotography.
• Narrowband Filters focus on specific wavelengths, ideal for capturing nebulae and faint celestial objects in high light pollution areas.

For Vespera users, the CLS Filter is an excellent option. It significantly reduces skyglow, enhancing contrast and detail in your astrophotography. Whether you’re capturing deep-sky objects or bright planets, this filter helps to ensure your images maintain clarity and vibrancy. Designed to fit seamlessly with the Vespera smart telescope, it allows users to experience the best of the night sky, even in urban environments. 

Explore the Vespera CLS Filter to elevate your astrophotography.

3. Post-Processing Techniques

Even after using the right filters, some effects of light pollution can remain. This is where post-processing comes into play. Advanced software can help you reduce the impact of light pollution and enhance your astrophotography:

• Adjust Levels and Curves: Post-processing software such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop allows you to adjust the levels and curves of your image to increase contrast and bring out the hidden details in your photos.
• Noise Reduction: Light pollution often increases noise in images, especially during long exposures. Use noise reduction tools to clean up your astrophotography shots without losing important details.
• Color Correction: Artificial lights can throw off the natural colors of stars and celestial bodies. By adjusting the color balance and using selective color tools, you can restore the natural vibrancy of your photos.

Best Equipment for Light-Polluted Areas

Having the right equipment is essential for dealing with light pollution. Our Vespera and Stellina ranges are designed to help minimize the effects of light pollution by incorporating advanced image processing and using filters to reduce skyglow. These smart telescopes offer excellent image quality, even in urban environments.

In addition to the light pollution filter for astrophotography, consider investing in accessories like:

• Sturdy Tripods: Essential for long exposures, especially in light-polluted areas where longer exposure times may be required.
• Remote Shutter Releases: To minimize vibrations when taking long exposures.

Light pollution may seem like a barrier for astrophotographers, but it can be managed with the right approach. By understanding light pollution levels, using a light pollution filter for astrophotography, and mastering post-processing techniques, you can still capture the stunning beauty of the night sky—even from a city.

With dark sky locations, filters, and post-processing, the universe is within your reach. Don’t let light pollution stop you from exploring the cosmos. Grab your telescope, apply these strategies, and start shooting. We hope you learnt a little bit more about how to overcome light pollution in Astrophotography.

The stars are waiting for you.

A Comprehensive Guide to Using ‘Plan My Night’. As we stand on the precipice of a new era in astronomy, the power to explore the cosmos is no longer confined to the realm of professional observatories. With the advent of advanced technology, the universe is now at the fingertips of anyone with a Vespera or Stellina and a thirst for discovery. This article will guide you through the process of using ‘Plan My Night’, a unique feature available in our Singularity app, to schedule and automatically run observation sessions.

‘Plan My Night’ is a revolutionary feature that allows you to program observation sessions without needing to be physically connected to your Vespera or Stellina.

To begin, navigate to the ‘Plan My Night’ screen and select ‘create a plan’. You’ll then be prompted to choose your observatory, or the observation site where the program will run. After validating your choice, select the date for your observation program. The software will automatically specify available observation times based on sunrise and sunset.

Once you’ve named your program, it’s time to choose the objects you wish to observe. These will appear in a zone located in the top section of the screen. A list of observable objects, each with a blue bar indicating the interval of time during which the object is observable, is provided in the bottom section of the screen.

‘Plan My Night’ offers a customizable experience, allowing you to filter proposed objects and specify custom criteria. You can choose from all objects in the catalog, just from favorites, or only from those you defined in manual targets. You can filter by category of object, such as galaxies only, and even filter objects according to their height above the horizon. You can also specify a minimum period of time during which the objects must be observable.

Adding an object to the observation program is as simple as touching its name or its observation bar. The object will be added to the schedule in the top portion of the screen, with the duration of visibility set based on the maximum available block of time. The blue curve shows the height variations of the object above the horizon. You can set the observation start and end times for this object and, when you’re satisfied, touch ‘add’.

You can modify or delete the observation times for an object by touching the zone that corresponds to that object. Once you’re satisfied with your observation schedule, press save.

Your observation programs can be viewed from the ‘Plan My Night’ start screen.

To launch an observation program, you must be connected to your observation station. However, the station doesn’t need to have already been initialized. Initialization is automatic when you start your schedule. Your telescope will now automatically capture the objects you defined in the program without your active involvement. When the observation program is finished, your telescope’s arm will automatically return to its closed position.

You can manage how your observation program runs and view the capture directly, as if it was a traditional observation. When your observation station has finished observing the object, it will automatically move on to the next object in the sequence, as defined in the program.

Finally, to view and recover observation program results once complete, go to the ‘Plan My Night’ screen, then choose ‘plan finished’. You can view the image captured for each of the objects and use the usual Singularity commands to save and share the image. Observation program results remain available until another program is launched.

In conclusion, ‘Plan My Night’ is a powerful feature that democratizes the field of astronomy, making it accessible to all. With its user-friendly interface and advanced features, it truly brings the universe to your backyard.

So, what are you waiting for? The cosmos awaits!

>>>Check out our Singularity app tutorial HERE<<<