Your First Image

This guide takes you from a connected rig to a captured and plate-solved image. By the end, you will have confirmed that your entire imaging chain is working.

Before You Start

Make sure:

• ARIS is connected to your equipment (or the simulator).
• Your mount is unparked and tracking.
• Your camera is cooled to your target temperature (if applicable).

Capture Your First Frame

1. Slew to a target. Go to the Plan screen, search for a bright target (the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, or any bright star), and tap GoTo. Wait for the mount to finish slewing.

2. Open the Imaging screen. Tap Imaging in the bottom navigation bar.

3. Set exposure parameters. Start with a short exposure to verify things are working:

   • Exposure: 5 seconds
   • Gain: A moderate value for your camera (100-200 is a reasonable starting point)
   • Binning: 1x1

4. Capture a frame. Tap the capture button. The camera will expose and the image will download to the app.

5. Review the result. The captured frame appears in the image viewer. You should see stars (and your target, if you are pointed at a deep-sky object). Use pinch-to-zoom to inspect the image.

Tip

If the image is completely black, try increasing the exposure time or gain. If it is completely white (saturated), reduce the exposure or gain.

Plate Solve to Confirm Pointing

Plate solving analyzes the star pattern in your image to determine exactly where your telescope is pointed. This confirms that your mount, camera, and optics are all working together correctly.

1. After capturing a frame, tap the Plate Solve button in the image viewer toolbar.

2. ARIS will analyze the star field and report the solved coordinates (RA/Dec), field of view, and image rotation.

3. Compare the solved coordinates with your intended target. They should be close (within a degree or so for an initial GoTo).

4. If the solve succeeds, your imaging chain is confirmed working. If it fails, check that the image contains visible stars and that your focal length is set correctly in your equipment profile.

Quick Wins to Try Next

Now that you have confirmed a working setup, here are some next steps:

• Run autofocus. Go to the Focus screen and start a V-curve autofocus run to achieve precise focus.
• Start guiding. Go to the Guiding screen and calibrate the guider for accurate tracking.
• Try a longer exposure. Increase the exposure to 30-60 seconds and see more detail.
• Build a sequence. Go to the Sequencing screen to automate a series of exposures with different filters.

Note

These guides assume you have a basic understanding of astrophotography concepts like exposure, gain, focusing, and tracking. If any of these are new to you, each section of the documentation explains the relevant concepts.