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courses:ast100:itelescope

Table of Contents

Imaging with iTelescope

1. Creating an Account and Logging In

  1. Go to https://go.itelescope.net
  2. Click on Create Account.
  3. Fill in the required information.
  4. Verify your email address.
  5. Log in to the iTelescope Portal.

2. Exploring Telescope Information

  1. After logging in, click on Telescopes in the top navigation bar.
  2. Browse the list of available telescopes.
  3. For each telescope, review:
    • Focal length
    • Camera model and pixel size
    • Field of view
    • Mount type
    • Available filters
    • Location and weather status
  4. Click on a telescope name to open the full technical specifications page.
  5. You may also visit https://telescopius.com/telescope-simulator and choose iTelescope along with your preferred telescope to preview the field of view. This allows you to see how the target object will appear in that setup.

4. Making an instant observation

  1. If the telescope is available, not being used by any other user, you can also make an instant observation.
  2. Click Deep Sky Object or one-click image.
  3. Search for your object by:
    • Name (e.g., M42, NGC 7000)
    • Coordinates (RA/DEC)
  4. Check the visibility and moon conditions.
  5. Confirm framing in the preview window.
  6. Select filters and the number of images.
  7. For each filter you wish to use, add a row:
    • Filter name (L, R, G, B, Ha, OIII, SII, etc.)
    • Exposure duration (seconds or minutes)
    • Number of exposures
    • Binning (1×1 or 2×2 depending on telescope)
  8. Repeat for all filters.
  9. Confirm the total imaging time displayed at the bottom.
  10. Click on acquire images to start the observation.
  11. You can also save the plan to use as an observation plan to book any telescope for later. In the reserved time, the plan will run automatically.

6. Submitting the Plan

  1. After reviewing everything, click Submit Plan.
  2. If using a reservation system, confirm the time slot.
  3. If running real-time imaging:
    • The plan will start immediately if the telescope is online.

7. Monitoring Your Imaging Session

  1. Go to Terminal → Live Session.
  2. The terminal window shows:
    • Current subframe
    • Filter in use
    • Exposure progress
    • Telescope status
    • Weather and safety alerts
  3. You can cancel the plan any time with Abort Plan (bottom-right corner).

8. Viewing and Downloading Your Images

  1. When imaging completes, go to My Data.
  2. Locate your session by date or plan name.
  3. Click on the session to view:
    • Light frames
    • Calibration frames (if provided)
    • FITS metadata
  4. Download options:
    • Individual FITS files
    • ZIP archive of the entire session
  5. Save the files to your local computer for stacking and processing.
  1. After downloading the data, continue to the Image processing for astrophotography sections for calibration, stacking, and post-processing.

End of Imaging with iTelescope Section

courses/ast100/itelescope.txt · Last modified: by shahal
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