How to add your Horizon in N.I.N.A. and Stellarium!

[@jeffrh]

Glad your son is on the mend... NINA has 2 plugins that will let you create Horizon data and they are FREE. Scope Control and Horizon Creator. With these 2 plugins installed, you can use your mount and camera to create the points needed for your location. Works very well and because you are using your gear in the spot that you will be setup at. You get a much better Horizon file. Hope this helps and continued good health to you son.

[@DylanODonnell]

Excellent tip!

[@zaphus]

Great to see you back and getting the observatory up and running again. Regardless of whether you are a true N.I.N.A. convert or will head back to SGP/etc, it is great to see these instructional videos viewing it from a clean slate. Careful, it is a deep rabbit-hole once you get into some plug-ins and the advanced sequencer!

[@DylanODonnell]

So I’ve heard .. thanks Zaph!

[@georgecambanis8014]

Excellent as always. Not much but is mine will be my new moto!! Thank you Dylan.

[@richardw2977]

Just getting started. That visibility feature is pretty awesome! Like you, I have limited visibility and having a tool to determine what’s visible will be a huge time saver. 🎉

Great to have you back, hope everithing is ok with your kid Big hugs from France

[@simonwalsh6804]

Hey Dylan, amazing to see you back. Family challenges are tough. I’m wishing you the very best from the UK. Simon

[@deep_space_dave]

Hey Dylan! This the one feature is what solidified my relationship with N.I.N.A! I am glad you made a video about it. I am too lazy to make KZbin videos that why we have you 😛 Glad to hear everything is getting better for you and your family! Clear Skies!

[@bofblog]

Good to see you back and active,wonderful family news...

[@syberand]

There is actually a plugin for this - Horizon Creator. I can also recommend three point polar alignment, not that you need it with a permanent setup. But it doesn't need polaris, which is nice when shooting from a balcony or the bottom of the ball we live on.

[@fgandola76]

Glad to see you back, was missing the informative video and the sense of humor. I am not into prayers so i send positive vibes for you know what !

[@DylanODonnell]

Cheers mate!

[@KarlKyhl]

I moved to N.I.N.A a few weeks ago and continue to be amazed. Now even more so. Some of those Open Source stuff out there is magic!

[@DylanODonnell]

It’s actually great eh!

[@goooser410]

Awesome stuff !!!! Thanks and welcome back

[@larryhibbitts2099]

Great video Dylan! Looking forward to more content from you, I always learn something!

[@terohiekkalinna]

I'm glad that you are back! The funniest astrovideos ever! I hope all is well! 🤩

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks heaps Tero 🍷

[@astrobath]

Amazing as usual with authentic humour! Thank you, Dylan! The best from the South-East! =)

[@77BlackKnight]

After a long walkabout Dylan is back with his hilarius and inspiering videos. Looks cool. Going from a balcony to a real backyard with a house in 2,5 months so i am exieded what the future holds. Perfect timing with Nina. Mybee a dome. 2018 was the year u set something in motion here. Clear skies and for making excellent videos. 😀

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey congratulations!

[@77BlackKnight]

@@DylanODonnell Thanks man. Yes a new experince and possibilities to enjoy the nightsky.

[@naveenravindar]

"Make the mistakes so you don't have to" - I was literally just about to look up how to do this and you posted thanks man. Hope you and your family are doing better!

[@jodyschultz5870]

Happy new year Dylan. This is one of the coolest videos you have ever done. Rotate via plate solve, did not know that and did not know about custom horizon either. Love it. You did go a bit too quick for me when adding the custom 360 picture. I know you are trying to keep it snappy but remember, we are mostly fellow nerds so we have a long attention span for this kind of content. Cheers!

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey thanks Jody I’m glad it had a few new ideas for you! With the 360 just take a pano with your phone and copy it into the landscape.png in the zip. Make sure the horizon goes across the middle .. cut out the sky so it’s transparent and export it out as a transparent png to overwrite the one that’s there. May take some experimentation and fiddling!

[@jodyschultz5870]

@@DylanODonnell Thanks Dylan

[@karltheberge3652]

Really happy you're back

[@grahamstevens9642]

Great stuff again Dylan. I thought my horizons were shite but then I looked at yours!!

[@DylanODonnell]

😂

[@Oamaruastro]

Hey, Dylan, thank you for embarking on this discovery of N.I.N.A.! I am also a new N.I.N.A. user, and am having a hard time getting it to work with my gear as seamlessly as my previous setup. (Focusing seems to be a particular nightmare for me, so if you want to do a video on that, I'll be all over it!)

[@DylanODonnell]

That will be the next step for me too! Just manual so far.

[@KopLamp]

Very nice that you are back in the game. I made a vid on Stellarium background once too and I used Google Streetview to get the 360 image. It is free and I am Dutch... so ... ;-) Perhaps getting a horizon.txt out of that data is possible too. Come to think of it, as I am genetically inclined to go for free stuff, it is a miracle I have not dabbled with NINA before. I am on the ZWO train and am happily vendor-locked in their ecosystem with my two ASIAIRs... But perhaps... one day... I'll put on my own lab-coat (very necessary uniform when experimenting) and try it out.

[@johnmheaton]

Martin. I'm sure I've seen you do a "Dylan lab coat" tribute on your channel 😉?!

[@KopLamp]

@@johnmheaton Guilty as charged. Did that on a few occasions indeed.

[@uschi414]

In case you care, if you install the NINA native driver for the QHY268 (you can select just NINA in the QHY AllInOne Windows program) then you can connect to the QHY camera from NINA using the native driver for NINA and it will display some cool extra things like the humidity in the sensor chamber.

[@johnalexandermcbryde9788]

Awesome all is going well. Best wishes.

[@johnnycanosoda]

Another great video Dylan, I hate those dam neighbors trees!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks mate :) If you can't fell them, plot them.

[@azuractive]

So happy to see another NINA evangelist! Preach it, bro! Wait til you get to the advanced sequencer and mess with all the juicy plugins… I’d ask that you plug supporting the dev, Stefan. The speed and quality of the updates has been awesome, but it’s open source and the guy’s gotta eat. He’s a rock star. Also, the NINA discord if fantastic. I’ve already gotten help troubleshooting in real time at 2am.

[@DylanODonnell]

I literally donated money to Stefan in the last video ;)

[@lklmmedia4715]

Great Vid as usual. I've been using NINA for a while and since I move around with Scopezilla I hadn't thought about doing a Horizon - but for kicks going to use this method to see how it goes. FYI Dylan - unless you are making changes each time you don't have to go back to set the Sidereal Tracking rate each time on the Mount, and likewise no need to go into the Config for the Camera (although I know you do change configs here and there, so maybe that was why you had to...) - it will all just connect and track the same as it did Last time you used it. Also you will find your workflow a little quicker by just clicking the Power button in the bottom left once where it will ask if you want to Connect to All devices, which will then connect them all, including Opening PHD (won't start guiding until you tell it to with a Sequence/Target request.) - but also all those Notifications will all pop up quickly in a row, after which you can just click "Close All"

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks for the tips I need and appreciate them!

[@lklmmedia4715]

@@DylanODonnell Any time - Just don't let Diego see you using N.I.N.A - I think he's married to Voyager...

[@DylanODonnell]

@@lklmmedia4715 hehehe

[@robertsipes7391]

You say that closing statement with what seems like a new conviction. Indiana, USA has been crap for viewing, but I am looking forward to getting N.I.N.A. goining at some point. Thanks for sharing!

[@DylanODonnell]

:)

[@Spaced_Out_Bill]

Your videos crack me up.😂NINA was really intimidating when I started two years ago but now I don't think I could use anything else. I love NINA!

[@DylanODonnell]

Starting to feel the same way ! Thanks !

[@johngiromini5745]

Dylan, parents are not just humans that say "No!", although sometimes offspring can think so. Parents are the holders of all their offspring can be; they try to map out the best course of action for their offspring, not necessarily because they want total control, but because that breathing, teething, knee-skinning offspring is just about the most precious object that has been put into a parents' care. We all care, but parents love caring. We had our 3rd daughter contract a viral infection when she was 18 months old that wouldn't make itself known, other than the constant temperature rise. My Beloved All and I stayed strong for her, and supported each other when the doctors probed and she cried and twisted our hearts.Fortunately, all ended well, and she is now a very good project manager. I hope for the very best for your family. And now...back to astronomy!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks for the kind words and I’m glad your family is ok !

[@dankahraman354]

Very nice idea Dylan. Could be of practical value in remote set-ups.

[@drunk_astronomy]

Much love from a fellow astro bum in Flint, Michigan USA!

[@--Adrian--]

Great stuff! I didn't know about the app that can measure the ALT-AZ for you. When I made my horizon file I guesstimated the values. Thanks!

[@DylanODonnell]

It’s neat eh!

[@kevinburke8608]

Adding to the algorithm... Best wishes to you and your family! Curious about the new image train!

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks Kev!

[@phadeezz]

When I just started, I learned a lot from Dylan. Now I'm watching like "... good, good, Dylan is finally catching up with me, maybe he'll teach me again some day soon ..."

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha full circle

[@SonsofChivalry]

😂😂😂 the Botez sisters in your horizon image 🤣

[@DylanODonnell]

Iconic hehe

[@JoMoJack]

With as widely varied as your equipment is, you may find good use out of setting up different profiles for your mainly used configurations. Focal lengths, exposure times for plate solves and autofocus runs, which camera attaches to what software and does what: it's all saved as a profile. Then, if nothing else, you can just smash the big "power" button in the lower left when launching and it will fire up the last state that profile was in and save you a bit of time.

[@Rfhuir343]

The nice thing about NINA is that you get a free pass to be smug to non-believers. Great video!

[@DylanODonnell]

Yes.. just like Apple and tesla!

[@ricardoabh3242]

Each few years I try to start this hound find you :) Saw the build of your dome, I was wondering why no upgrade and move it to the roof?

[@DylanODonnell]

Ground is always best for stability :)

[@astroindianx]

Nice very helpful 👌

[@JohnDGwilliam]

Praise be to the Astro gods… Now let us all bow our heads and pray for clear skies. 😂 Great stuff fella, so much valuable information in these last 2 vids, this is definitely a route that I’m going to follow when I get my observatory and set it up, if my wife allows it…I should say if I manage to hide the cost of it, if not she’ll cut off my danglers and they’ll be slapped on the pillow where I was sleeping and I’ll be embarking on a new career as a male soprano. How do you tell the wife about the EdgehHD14” you want? Asking for a friend obviously 😂 Looking forward to the next one mate, all the best 🍻

[@DylanODonnell]

Hey thanks Gwils! Good luck with your equipment acquisition 😆

[@JohnDGwilliam]

@@DylanODonnell I feel a shift in the force, I need to hide my acquisition spreadsheet on a distant planet in a galaxy far…far…away! 😂

[@aughtago]

When you get into the advanced sequencer, you can start and end target capture based upon your horizon, if you install the "obiculum" (or something like that) plugin you will be able to loop on one target until the next target is above your horizon. install the Orbitals plugin and you can track coments, planets etc. NINA is amazing. Patriot astro does some amazing videos on the advanced sequencer.

[@gabrieldavidson4442]

Welcome back to AP!

[@hansf2281]

Another great vid Dylan...Do yourself a favour and get to grips with the NINA Advanced Sequencer, just brilliant. It made my ASIAir Plus totally redundant.

[@richhudnut5110]

What up D? good to see you back...

[@DylanODonnell]

G’day Rich :)

[@gregmckay666]

NINA, bottom left "Power" button will connect all of you devices set up in your profile.

[@DylanODonnell]

I assumed so but haven't tried yet, thanks :)

[@chrismcgrew4692]

Where does the landscape file go on my Mac once I install it into Stellarium? I can't find it anywhere.

[@DylanODonnell]

It’s in /Library/ I think /Appplication Support/ and/or /stellarium/landscapes from there

[@celestromel]

Please give us regular updates on Ben’s progress. A PM wii be appreciated. Cheers,Penny and Mel

[@banddlarsen89]

Mark one down for the US.. your welcome buddy 👊👊

[@ChrisTardif_]

LOL Just noticed the Botez Sisters.....nicely done

[@DylanODonnell]

Love those gals :)

[@ChrisTardif_]

@@DylanODonnell Don't we all :)

[@carvrodrigo]

In Nina on the adv sequencer you can use the start when above my horizon so just capture when target is visible from that file you made 😁

[@DylanODonnell]

Nice :)

[@OhanSmit]

This is phenomenal, thank you for the run through, I'm going to have to get an iPhone XD

[@DylanODonnell]

Hehe no worries !

[@PafMedic]

Hi Dylan,Your A Born Again Something Im Just Not Sure What,lol..I Stand In The Yard and Hold It Up..Bad Storms Coming Thru ATM,Thats Cool,If Im In My Backyard In The Summer,I Was Always Waiting For Everything To Clear My Neighbors,and Mine Very Large Maple Tree’s.I May Give This A Whirl.Thank You,God Bless,and Clear Skies🙏🏼❤️🔭🌏✨

[@DylanODonnell]

Born again clown :)

[@PafMedic]

@@DylanODonnell 🤡😂😁

[@txaggie0275]

Please do an autofocus video with NINA. I'm working at 1200mm with my C8 and an .63 reducer and my autofocus works intermittently and it's super frustrating! I've watched Chad's videos from Patriot Astro but still struggle to get autofocus to work properly. Would like to see if you have any struggles that might help me understand what I'm doing wrong.

[@DylanODonnell]

Have you tried the Hocus Focus plugin yet? (I haven't so I'm figuring it all out too, but I've heard it's better than the default AF)

[@txaggie0275]

I have the Hocus Focus plugin. I think my issue might be related to focuser backlash but I haven't been able to figure it out. Maybe it's my Celestron focuser but not sure. I find myself having to use a bahtinov mask which is a pain and so manual - who the hell wants to do shit manually!

[@jasonnewton1998]

@@DylanODonnell what's your experience been with autofocuser software on your 11" (I have one too...) and RASA... does it fail relative more /finicky relative to your refactors? Curve fits too much magic and result in you choosing a different setting than the software picks?

[@jasonnewton1998]

ok seems youtube is deleting my post - 4th try with no url: I've had lots of these problems - google nina issue 1051 - the bug tracker is on bitbucket under isbeorn - I found/added James Lamb's youtube expositions on this today, he captured+ pointed out the issues very well.

[@zborkz]

@@txaggie0275 Backlash is the most likely issue, try the overshoot method

[@jackmamat7721]

Just a quick recommendation to the video, the sound levels are jumping high and low and its really difficult to watch the video with banging, sharp sounds, especially at night. Your voice is way lower than the music and those video in cuts that you have. Just a hint. I am not sure if that is just me that sensitive, but my sound levels are hard to go by. Other than that, great stuff!!!

[@ricardoabh3242]

lol the Botez sister are an obstacle?

[@sinsolosin]

I know, it's a massive offtopic, but I was wandering if your nexdome had been plummeted by an Australian hail? That which is golf ball sized (and bugger)? And if it did, how did it held? Was it OK? Any noticeable damage or leaks? I don't know any other way to contact you mate to ask this so yeah... :-D Thanks in any case!

[@DylanODonnell]

Nexdome v1 suffered cracks in the UV yep.. so far so good with the v2 version of the roof. 💪🏼

[@sinsolosin]

@@DylanODonnell thanks for the info! Was wandering if I should think about second skin for it, if I ever get one that is :-D

[@normanhey8016]

Thanks for the tip on Theodolite's logging function--didn't know that! My original data pales by comparison. Keep making mistakes so I don't have to? where were you when I needed you?!

[@DylanODonnell]

Haha yeh I checked some existing tutorials and thought gosh there must be a lazier way to do this… and there was! And lazy is my middle name!

[@DylanODonnell]

Side note though .. the “high data point” version of my horizon didn’t work in Stellarium. Im not sure if there is an upper limit. Nina ate it up though.

[@normanhey8016]

@@DylanODonnell Do real astronomers use Stellarium?

[@RS-jz2yu]

Hello Dylan and thank you for another great video. I wish that I could find content creators for all of my interests that are as intertwining and skilled as you are with astrophotography. You wouldn't happen to be starting a channel on guitar would you? Just starting out and I'm wondering if in person lessons are required. What are your thoughts?

[@DylanODonnell]

Would love to start a guitar channel .. I’m not that good though! Maybe beginner lessons heh

[@chriscausseaux4793]

HE’S BACK!!!!

[@tmrdarkstar85]

I wonder how long until you start doing Mosaic's in Nina. I am a huge fan of mosaics but also hate them now that I joined the Mono Club because where I live Dylan. I am lucky to get clear skies often enough. Really wise i could have afforded to keep my OSC and hyperstar for some easier mosaic's but sadly it funding my mono setup.

[@DylanODonnell]

Yes baby steps. I’ll get one normal image finished first 😆

[@tmrdarkstar85]

@@DylanODonnell Of Course, once I pick up a mini pc for my rig if you ever want access to northern skies let me know. It would only be with my Stellarvue until I pick up a auto focuser for the c8 and a custom spacer to mount the filter wheel an 268 to the scope safely. Your filter drawer idea wont work since I run 36mm unmounted filters and not 2in / 48mm mounted. Hoping the best for your family m8.

[@TheRevWillNotBeTelevised]

Have you thought about getting a dehumidifier for your dome to reduce probability of the computer going bad again?

[@DylanODonnell]

I have one :)

[@johnmheaton]

@@DylanODonnell Have you thought about getting a BIGGER dehumidifier for your dome to reduce probability of the computer going bad again? 😉 Props to the OP 🤣

[@Xanthus723]

One of us! One of us! One of us!

[@TheWonkyAstronomer]

You have the Botez sisters in your back yard?

[@kleasal86]

Dude how have I not seen your channel before! Stupid youtube algorithms. Great stuff Mate.

[@DylanODonnell]

Hehe welcome to the funhouse :)

[@Swedishoyster]

What app should I use for android?

[@DylanODonnell]

There is an android version of the app I used :)

[@clairehachey2189]

Hilarious 😅 Love your content 😘 I moved to the big Canadian city of Montreal and all I can see on a clear night is a single 🌟 Missing the dark night skies so much 😥

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks Claire! Cities are good for planetary and solar at least!

[@clairehachey2189]

@@DylanODonnell For the better part of 18 years, I had the privilege of watching Orion rise in the sky. I couldn't wait for that time of year, and the best part is that I had this amazing view from my smaller city home. Luckily I can console myself viewing your amazing content. Cheers 😊

[@zelodec]

I used SGP Pro like 3 years ago and it was ok but once I found out about NINA I never went back. NINA is so much faster in everything and it's free. The biggest fail in SGP was the super slow auto focus and image download time.

[@DylanODonnell]

I’ve noticed how rapid N.I.N.A. is too!

[@brodymk45]

even more!!!

[@DylanODonnell]

Congrats on first :)

[@brodymk45]

@@DylanODonnell i want a prize lol jk

[@lmu6airy]

need to move to sequencer and not the standard sequence since ur using the nexdome :D

[@DylanODonnell]

I will eventually :)

[@redabdab]

Ha! I love that you use the simple sequencer and are not one of those smartarse types who use the advanced sequencer. Now I know there are two of us, I don’t feel so thick 😂

[@DylanODonnell]

I’ve only just started and simple sequencer works great !

[@redabdab]

@@DylanODonnell totally agree mate! I've never felt the need for anything else.

[@andysmith4050]

So nice of you to put your sisters in stellarium…

[@DylanODonnell]

Love em 😆

[@keithhanssen7413]

Fabulous

[@slzckboy]

Botez sisters get bloody everywhere :)

[@joostvisser6508]

6:25 this was unexpected not gonna lie

[@DylanODonnell]

But welcome :)

[@rossblezard574]

that is weird I thought is was just my garden the Botez sisters hang out in. Chess, astro, music, beer - the dream team

[@DylanODonnell]

Quite a dream really :)

[@marinaamgad5781]

"The observatory is back online" =me: :)))

[@DylanODonnell]

Thx Marina :)

[@jasonnewton1998]

yea ... notifications need policy change, almost all of them are noise and that they persist ... should be more ways to not have them be a bother

[@DylanODonnell]

Oh good it's not just me

[@Astrobloke]

Clear skies and lower trees dude

[@KarlKyhl]

So, you gonna stay with that Yankee's cap ?

[@DylanODonnell]

Dog ate it already. Was channeling my inner @chucksastrophotography

[@anthonyrobida]

Hi Dylan, your videos are great. I see there's a street light next to your dome. Do you image in narrow band only?

[@DylanODonnell]

@@anthonyrobida thanks. No the streetlight is mysteriously disabled and I haven’t complained.

[@TheHairyStrawberry]

A burning stick would be more uncomfortable !

[@tennesseejed884]

Yeah my horizon goes vertical on my phone screen. Imagine that...not too afraid of artificial intelligence just yet

[@johnalexandermcbryde9788]

he he "we are IN NINA" he he he

[@Dorkyand40]

Lol. The botez girls

[@DylanODonnell]

☺️

[@WiseOldOwl3]

Invest in a Chainsaw?

[@heavyjohnny]

Not to be used for visual astronomy

[@DylanODonnell]

Strict terms and conditions

[@viniguez487]

Hide yo RASA 11's y'all there are android users around!

[@Lasastard]

Just a small thing, NINA should support native connection to QHY cameras (showing up as "QHY camera" or similar), i.e. not through ASCOM. I found that to be a little more comfortable.

[@DylanODonnell]

I’ll install the native drivers again and see if they show up .. thanks !

[@user-jn4ih2sy7j]

keep going dylan great vids pls read insta dms