October 26: Started the day with lessons in PixInsight and an overview of astronomy equipment. It is nice to know that the technologies I’ve invested in so far are right on top, but there are a few things I need to acquire to step up my game. First on the list is Sequence Generator Pro, an observatory automation system which ties all my equipment together but adds in workflow management. This is something I need because it is challenging to handle meridian flips with what I have today; but there are other features that could make the life of an amateur astronomer much better.
Also we were treated to a VIP tour of the facilities and got to see inside many of the observatories here on the mountain, including the huge solar telescope. More to come on this later with pictures.
The main objective was to learn about techniques in PixInsight to improve the astrophotography. I have new pre and post processing workflows to use that can take my images all the way without the use of Photoshop! See below the image of M16 Eagle Nebula I took this summer with the new workflow.
