Hi AstroNerd,

I didn't read the directions and wondered why my post didn't magically appear the instant I sent it. Sorry. I only read your advice on posting after I send the message again. To avoid making my look like an idiot to the community and, more importantly, to maybe get a response, would you please only approve the second version of my new topic? Thank you, David Ackerman

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I am looking for advice about writing a sequence file that can be used to perform a specific and non-standard image acquisition job that I will describe. I am using a Sol'Ex solar heliograph or SHG (see Christian Buil's website, www.astrosurf.com/solex/sol-ex-presentation-en.html) mounted on my refractor telescope on an iOptron GEM45 mount. The job that I will describe simultaneously controls a planetary camera and the mount.

An SHG is a spectrometer that captures spectra of slices of the Sun that can be arranged in order to form an image of the solar disc at a particular wavelength, e.g., H-alpha or Ca, etc. The acquisition job requires a scan across the Sun at an angular rate that exceeds the sidereal rate (SR), say 8x SR. As the telescope slews across the Sun, a planetary camera such as ZWO's ASI178 captures spectra for vertical slices of the disc that are then put back together.

Thus, the jobs to be scheduled are
1. Tracking the sun using a finder scope
2. Slewing RA rapidly to the starting point of a scan, e.g., 0.3 degrees west of the Sun
3. Scanning eastward through the Sun, e.g., 0.6 degrees total at 8x SR while acquiring spectral data frames, e.g., 6ms exposure (167 frames/sec) 2000 x 140 pixel spectra. This scan takes about 20s during which the image frames are recorded into a .ser file.
4. Return to step 1.

Can such a sequence be written and run under EKOS's Object and Sequence Selection? If so, I'd really like to hear about it because it is difficult to run steps 1 through 4 manually and easy to make errors. Automating the sequence would be great. Please let me know what you think.

Best wishes,
David

PS: Here is 'first light' from my Sol'Ex set to H-alpha wavelength, taken 13 Oct 2023

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