Contents

  1. Chapters overview
  2. Chapter 1 The symphony of modern astrophotography: beyond the telescope
  3. Telescope OTA (Optical Tube Assembly)
  4. Computerized mounts
  5. Cameras
  6. Filters
  7. Electronic focusers and rotators
  8. Guiding systems
  9. Flat field generators and telescope cover motors
  10. Environmental controllers and dew suppression solutions
  11. Computers
  12. Chapter 2 Two pathways to astrophotography: planetary/lunar vs. deep-sky
  13. Planetary/lunar astrophotography
  14. Deep-sky astrophotography
  15. Chapter 3 Deep-sky objects to photograph in every season
  16. Some of the deep-sky objects you can capture in Spring (Fall if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere)
  17. Some of the deep-sky objects you can capture in Summer (Winter if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere)
  18. Some of the deep-sky objects you can capture in Fall (Spring if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere)
  19. Some of the deep-sky objects you can capture in Winter (Summer if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere)
  20. When can I take pictures of Solar System planets?
  21. When can I take pictures of the Moon?
  22. Chapter 4 Astrophotography with telescopes: a step-by-step guide
  23. Step 1: choose the right place to start your astrophotography session
  24. Step 2: choose the right time to start your astrophotography session
  25. Step 3: start preparing your telescope, beginning with the tripod
  26. Step 4a: if your telescope comes with an EQ mount
  27. Step 4a: if your telescope comes with an Alt-Az mount
  28. Chapter 5 PLAY software for EAGLE or Windows 10/11 computers
  29. How to let PLAY control your devices
  30. Use CONNECT ALL to quickly connect to devices
  31. Enable dual-telescope mode to simultaneously control 2 OTAs
  32. Chapter 6 Use PLAY to Capture Images
  33. Use PLANETARIUM tab to view sky chart, select targets and control mount
  34. Use FOCUS & ROTATE tab to control ESATTO or SESTO SENSO 2 focusing solutions and ARCO rotator
  35. Use the CALIBRATE tab to control GIOTTO smart flat field generator or ALTO telescope cover motor
  36. Use the PREVIEW tab to set your camera and preview your image
  37. Use SEQUENCER to start an image sequence acquisition
  38. Use AutoFocus to automatically find the best focus point
  39. Use Auto Alignment to automatically align your telescope to the sky
  40. Use AutoStacking to automatically improve your pictures
  41. How to record Flat calibration frames
  42. How to record Dark/Bias/Dark of Flat calibration frames
  43. Chapter 7 Use PLAY and SharpCap to capture Moon and the Planets
  44. Use AutoStakkert and Siril for planets and Moon processing
  45. Chapter 8 How to Control PL Observatory Stations with EAGLE Computer and PLAY
  46. Step 1: startup procedure
  47. Step 2 (optional): launch handpad simulation software for your mount
  48. Step 3: launch PLAY and control your telescope
  49. Step 4: shutdown procedure
  50. PLAY safety features for PL Observatory Stations
  51. Maintenance suggestions for using a Telescope or PL Observatory Station
  52. Chapter 9 Useful astronomy software that can be used together with PLAY
  53. PHD Guiding, the autoguiding software
  54. Drift Alignment using PHD Guiding
  55. Use PixInsight Weighted Batch Preprocessing to calibrate deep-sky images recorded with PLAY
  56. Use PixInsight to process deep-sky images recorded with PLAY
  57. Chapter 10 Best Windows settings to optimize your computer performance
 
00