Capturing the Whirlpool Galaxy from my iPad with the ASI AIR pro

In this video I continue my astrophotography journey with the ASI AIR pro - a small device that lets me remote control my photo rig on my iPad over WiFi.
Using the ASI AIR pro, I'm shooting the Whirlpool galaxy (M51) and its companion NGC 5195 right next to the Big Dipper.
List of equipment used in this video:
ASI AIR pro
astronomy-imag...
iOptron SkyGuiderTM Pro camera mount
www.ioptron.co...
William Optics RedCat 51 APO telescope
williamoptics....
Canon EOS 80D DSLR camera
www.canon.co.u...
Optolong L-Pro EOS-C Clip Filter
www.optolongas...
Music: www.purple-pla...

[@GarnettLeary]

Every day I find a new astro channel is a great day. Clear skies.

[@mikelilja2542]

I got started down this rabbit hole with Nico Carver from Nebula Photos, been consuming all sorts of videos and just discovered your channel. Have to say, yours are by far the most entertaining and can't help but, smile when you mention whiskey (MaCallan 12 y.o. my favorite) and consuming 2 bottles of champagne before a night of shooting! Wish you the best and clear skies!

[@purplesky7893]

Looking forward to upcoming videos clear skies

[@stormingbarney4498]

Great video, but please get a safety rail :)

[@ukastrophoto9927]

+1 :)

[@bostronomy]

Lol that would freak me out too.

[@flexable9256]

first thing I thought :)

[@paultebbs9513]

I really enjoyed the video. I recently pre-ordered an ASIAIR Plus. This was helpful. Subscribed! Also, I liked the included factoids.

[@nathanhassey4724]

Would love to see more videos from you!

[@horaciodortona574]

That was awesome! Thanks for sharing and great work capturing M51. I had fun watching. Clear Skies.

[@i8farming477]

Great to see the asiair in use and how to control it.

[@nelsonrivera6575]

Great spot, and greater picture ,subscribed amazing explanation as well

[@rooftopastro8774]

Glad you liked it!

[@raulos]

Very nice final result. Cheers!

[@HelenasAstrophotography]

Just found your channel! Keep up the awesome work.

[@rooftopastro8774]

Thanks Helena!! :) Btw, your channel was one of the first astro-channels I checked out before getting into this, so thanks for the inspiration! Slightly jealous of your observatory.. ;)

[@MarkoPola]

Very nice demonstration from unboxing to image. I just placed my order for the asiair pro and I’m excited to try it out.

[@rooftopastro8774]

Thanks! Best of luck with your setup!

[@HideOut55007]

Awesome Video Thanks!

[@michellebentz3576]

Oh my gosh, its been hours and no miraculous " oooh, its connected" 😄 lucky you!

[@britainthroughmylens]

What a great video! I'm awaiting delivery of the ASI Air Pro for use with my WO Z61 and HEQ5 Pro down here in the west country. Bortle 4. Looking forward to getting to grips with it. Nice place you have there.

[@jimb7931]

Hey, great video. I have, or soon will the exact setup. Waiting for my ASI Air and WO NightCat to come. I have the Ioptron SkyGuider Pro and WO base as well as the extension arm. Hopefully will be trying this in a few weeks. Keep the videos coming!

[@williamwesley5078]

I'm glad your channel come up

[@thepedalsadvocate7389]

This was a great video. Will check out your others. You should do more.

[@thepedalsadvocate7389]

GREAT video. Helpful.

[@ricardoabh3242]

Great video exactly what am am searching… Evolution in technology and city I want all to be single hub/wifi… controlled by iPad or iPhone And less cables, all should be usbc, same cable for data and power

[@Microtonal_Cats]

This looks like nerd heavy. Still waiting on my ASI AIR. They're on backorder.

[@andreasnyh5740]

Lovly picture. I got My först picture of Andromeda galaxy yeasterday. So i hope the result is grate

[@TheZ3roCool]

What I would give for your rooftop! Maybe with a safety rail though :P

[@rooftopastro8774]

A safety railing has definitely been suggested a few times in the past :)

[@itaialter]

@@rooftopastro8774 And I would like to second (or 87th) that suggestion. Be safe! Gonna check out the rest of your channel out!

[@Mistr_A]

@@rooftopastro8774 I third that suggestion, imagine in the dark one stumble or tripping over a cable!

[@purplesky7893]

Same

[@ScottDavies]

Brilliant video and wow you have a fantastic location 😍 Nice to see the redcat and the asiair pro! Might get one myself 😉

[@rooftopastro8774]

Thanks! Can very much recommend that very portable setup! Good luck setting up your rig

[@ScottDavies]

@@rooftopastro8774 Just waiting for darker skies in Sweden now! Got the Redcat, star adventurer pro mount and a L-Pro filter! Learn to use this items first then onto guide scope and camera and the asiair pro! Looking forward to your next video ;)

[@neillewis82]

One of the things i love about this hobby is getting outside under the stars.... i would never ever ever sit in my house or go to bed while im shooting. Baffles my mind

[@rooftopastro8774]

Haha, well you certainly get that part of the experience too during the first few hours of the night. And when it gets cold, I think it's lovely to be able to continue from someplace warm. But I understand where you're coming from.

[@janetwillson3502]

Great video! I do worry about you falling off the roof after two bottles of champagne though.

[@ACEOFSPACE2000]

Cool place to do Astrophotography from.

[@wanderingquestions7501]

The danger with Plate-Solving is some people depend on it rather then having the PA solid. One can plate-solve with a crap PA and find your target. But when your tracking, after you centered your target with plate-solve, a bad PA will mess up your tracking and one will fight that all night. And remember you’re not tracking in both RA and DEC on that unit so if your PA is off you will have real problems. You can go into the Previous options and set your camera to continuously shoot. That’s handy for focusing. Remember to focus that guide scope too.

[@fmrc69]

Sweet rooftop setup! I wish!

[@MrBonger88]

Very nice. I hope you create more content

[@TheZ3roCool]

Subbed! Just found your channel...added to my list of favorite Astro channels. Brilliant video! Production and presentation really fun to watch. Top draw 👏😎

[@matteodonega618]

Really well done video. Always nice to find people at a similar level and with similar tools. My Asiair pro is on its way together with WO ZN61. Can’t wait too start using them. I have actually a question for you: does the Asiair provide any power to your DSLR? Or you depend on the DSLR battery (I saw you changed it later in the video)? Many thanks and keep them coming.

[@rooftopastro8774]

I used my batteries until I switched to an astronomy camera, but I'd imagine that with the right adapter it should be totally ok to run it off the ASI air pro

[@GediAstro]

Skön setup! :)

[@MichaelLevAstro]

Cool video and nice result! especially from within London! thinking about trying Narrowband as we approach nebula season? :)

[@rooftopastro8774]

Thanks! Definitely looking forward to trying narrowband - I’ve got myself an H-alpha filter that should come handy :)

[@chinstroker1862]

Rooftop Astro will you be doing anymore vids anytime soon...loved your content and humour! As a novice canon/asiair/ioptron sky guider user myself was keen to see how you’re progressing?

[@hypersphereengineering6015]

Dude, you need a safety rail on that roof !!!

[@thepedalsadvocate7389]

Whirlpool Galaxy is a pretty small target for a scope of this size without a GOTO. Well done. Tough to find?

[@mactheknife74]

More, we need more :-)

[@juanantonio674]

Genial saludos cordiales desde Patagonia Chile..

[@rjet43]

i just ordered the plus and a AF

[@malli35998]

Very informative and fun to watch!

[@gnagyusa]

Never mind polar aligning. Don't go on that roof top without a guard rail after 2 bottles of champagne :)

[@derbezacesanchez3779]

There seems to be less light pollution there. Where I live in some apartments there are lots of orange light lamp posts. Plus, one neighbor keeps their backyard bright light on right now; they also have it on during the day so they probably do not know it's on. I went over during the day but they did not answer; the closed window shade moved so they are there. I will probably leave a note to remind them.

[@rooftopastro8774]

Oh man... yeah, it's been surprisingly decent, given the city and everything.. An optolong L filter might be worth looking into to get rid of the orange spill light? Anyway, good luck with the neighbours

[@MultiSimplesi]

Good guy well done

[@andrewwebber4623]

Man that roof looks deadly, mixed with alcohol I'd end up walking off the roof

[@ricardoabh3242]

Nice city…UK? My first video of your channel

[@flaviovianna4889]

Thanks for the great video! How did you attach the ASIAIR at the tripod?

[@Andy_XR]

Great vid! Thanks. So, did you just use the ASI AIR connected to the DSLR for polar alignment, plate solving etc? I'm about to get the same kit to marry up to my Canon 80D + SpaceCat. Not sure I need to get the mini guide scope and camera though...

[@rooftopastro8774]

I’d say it really depends on how long subs you want to be able to take. With good polar alignment, I’ve managed to take up to 3-4 minutes. Anything longer than that and you risk getting oval stars - or star trails

[@filipgloria]

Är du svensk?! Jag såg dina snaps-låtar! Fast det ser inte ut som att du är i Sverige? Jag håller också på med astrofotografi (rätt ny fortfarande och jobbar fortfarande på att köpa in rätt utrustning. Jag köpte ju tyvärr en eq3-Pro synsvaga till mitt Newton 150/750-teleskop, så måste fixa en bättre) och jävlar vad jag önskar att det fanns såna tak i Sverige som taket du har! Fantastiskt jobb! Fortsätt med det! Är du inne på astronet någonting? Hälsningar, Filip

[@purplesky7893]

Amazing channel

[@inquisitivesoul8978]

Well done!. D'OH.

[@garysheedy8348]

Hi Great Video...what type of clamp are you using to mount the asi air to the tripod

[@kiana2214]

Hi there, love your rooftop setup and looking forward to more videos. What exactly did you use to mount your ASIAIR Pro to your tripod? I've been looking around for a good option and I have a feeling your answer will cut my search time in half. Thanks!

[@BlueBlaster1]

Hello there, I was wondering I have a Redcat and almost the same set up. May be silly question are the images you taking on the tablet from the mini scope or from the DSLR being sent to the iPad?

[@paalhoff63]

An alternarive title: Cutting one cord, then adding 8 other cords and having to drag along a really heavy battery.

[@Looking4NM]

Just found your channel. Excellent video! I was literally moments away from pulling the trigger to order the the ASIair Pro, but hesitated when you made mention of a “technical problem” with your Cannon and a subsequent workaround. Perhaps you can share the specifics of your issue? I am currently using a Canon T7i. I’m curious if I too would have issues. Thanks again for the great video.

[@bennettdj100]

Great video! What the clip mount you're using to mount the ASI Air Pro to your tripod?

[@QawiemJamil]

What's your overall experience with auto-guiding on a RA-only star tracker for long imaging session? Was the auto-guiding and ASIAIR a game changer? Does your target stay in frame really well or does it move? I too have a DSLR on a star tracker setup, without ASIAIR and auto-guider though! ...and I'm starting to think I really need it. I'm feeling frustrated because without a clear view of Polaris from where I am from, I can only manage a rough polar alignment such that during an imaging session, I'd have to check and adjust the framing and composition every hour because my target would move away too much from where I want it to be in the frame.

[@newbee1016]

Thumbs up from me, great video learning heaps for when my ASIair Pro arrives. The iPad you are using does it have compass, accelerometer, gryo, GPS sensors? if so what model is it? I am looking around the net to try and find a tablet with sensors unfortunately they are far and few between. I am finding the phone screen a bit small and cramped when looking at sky charts. I have been asking others what tablets they are using but not getting many answers, I have checked out the forums but there is not much there of any value. Robert Vic' Aust'

[@tvnostalgia7477]

Nice vid. Thanks. Why does it look as though you could just step off the edge of your roof? I usually moan that health and safety has gone mad, but in your case, you need it..!

[@Mr6sess]

Just waiting for my Redcat to arrive! Our rig is about the same ...I just have a different star tracker. Do you connect the asi air pro to your home wifi and use your ipad from there? I have seen many nebulae vids and even some vids that say you cant capture galaxies (other than Andromeda) with the Redcat. You just proved them WRONG!

[@sosketch1]

great video.. question for you. what are you using to connect your ASI Air pro to your tripod leg. im looking for a similar solution. keep up the good work.

[@stormingbarney4498]

So jealous of your place... What accessory are you using to attach the ASIair pro to your tripod?

[@swiiswii7253]

nice video i have a quick question dose the ASI AIR pro work with the star adventurer

[@robcalfee]

Where did you get that clamp to hold the ASIAir pro on the tripod leg? That would work so well on my Innorel 90.

[@magicalfrijoles6766]

How are you powering it? I haven't seen a video that shows a power cord.

[@emanuelnogueira4698]

Gréât video! thank you! Can you tell me which accessory you use to attach thé ASI AIR PRO to the tripod? thank you!

[@rooftopastro8774]

Thanks! It's a Crab Clamp with 1/4" screwhole I found here: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07F72MS8Y

[@giovanniperez6476]

Great video! Could you tell me what tripod you are using for your skyguider? Thanks

[@rooftopastro8774]

Thanks! The tripod is a Manfrotto 190go that I originally got for my DSLR. Works well, although if I was getting one today, I’d probably look for a carbon fiber.

[@Diomedes642]

Hey, great job ! what is that adapter on the leg of your tripod that allows for the pro to be mounted on it ?

[@Fartmaster699]

Cool bruh!

[@ghint]

Great video, may I ask what guidescope and guide camera you're using mounted on the RedCat?

[@rooftopastro8774]

Thanks! It's an ASI 30F4 mini scope with an ASI 120mini cam - although I haven't been able to use it yet, as my power supply didn't have enough amps to turn everything on at the same time :) There's another video coming when I get it all working.

[@earth9258]

That’s a good drop off the roof. Wouldn’t want to trip on anything.

[@timburgess1528]

Many thanks for sharing the video. I have the redcat and waiting on delivery of the asiair pro. One question please, as I am new to this: do you have any trouble locating the whirlpool galaxy (or any other object) using the redcat on the skyguider pro, as I am wondering how to make small and controlled movements to target (especially the RA movement using the clutch mechanism)?

[@rooftopastro8774]

Cool! I wouldn't worry so much about making small and controlled movements - that was fairly easy. Finding the target was trickier in the beginning when I was only using starhopping. Once I realized I could get exact coordinates from plate-solving, that also became much easier! Good luck!!

[@JaspreetSingh-jm3lu]

Hey mate Just wondering how do you connect the camera to the Asiair Pro ? what cable do you use for it

[@Safestassets]

Hey! Can I still use APT and PHD2 with the ASIAir pro or do I have to use the software that comes with it? I'm just looking for a solution to control my telescope from inside this winter without having to switch software.

[@Kyle_Hubbard]

Was your DSLR modded?

[@johnnyredfireastroimaging5266]

If I use the pole master I guess plate solving is a step i can skip right?

[@rooftopastro8774]

Haven’t used one myself, but I’d imagine that it works by plate solving internally. So yes, for polar alignment you likely wouldn’t need it. However, if your mount isn’t a GOTO mount, plate solving can still be really useful when trying to find your targets.

[@jilldwr]

OR, get a raspberry pi 4 and run everything with the free Astroberry OS!

[@TheJoshuaCarter]

How did you connect the ASIAir Pro to your tripod leg?

[@rooftopastro8774]

Hey - I'm using a Crab Clamp with 1/4" screwhole I found here: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07F72MS8Y

[@scalemodelenthusiast1633]

Please tell me you reported the issue with the IOS device to ZWO

[@rooftopastro8774]

Someone else actually beat me to it and wrote a bugreport on ZWO's forum

[@TheStephenmonroe]

You seem to be whispering, why?

[@Luftbubblan]

?

[@Microtonal_Cats]

Get an unpaid intern. You teach then astrophotography. They do the polar align sober when you can't.