The image size was 4656 x 3520 for both frames

Yes that's fine. The problem is that some users have the habit to bin the images down to something like 600x400 pixels for quick download and Astrometry.net will solve it. ASTAP is a different program and it can't compute those images. ASTAP requires some resolution and also the intensity of the stars. With the intensity it can separate the bright from the faint stars. An other problem for solving is severe stretching but that doesn't happen in Ekos. ASTAP works well with raw images and resolutions above 1080 x 960 pixels.

Han

Okay your running on the Mac. Can you provide me with the image mention in this command line:



So the file in /private/var/folders/2b/...........................

There you will also find the solution.ini Attach that one also. (Should contain the same command as in your screenshot)


Han

OK that was difficult but I found the file

Good but the FITS file is missing. Can you upload it somewhere? :

/private/var/folders/2b/5hc0l8dw8xl0g30059b1n9180000gn/T/fitsYeFVEO.fits

Regards, Han

The missing file : You already downloaded the folder "Test Files.zip" containing 2 files M101.fits and M106.fits : dl.free.fr/tt9pzyXJ6

_Light_M101.fits is M101.fits

Yes but the question what did Ekos do with the image. Was it downsampled and how much. The image_Light_M101.fits solves without problem. but is the image at:

/private/var/folders/2b/5hc0l8dw8xl0g30059b1n9180000gn/T/fitsYeFVEO.fits

the same or downsampled and is it still 16 bit? We can only test with that image.


Han

I cannot answer these questions but I can repeat that this image - as you got it - could be solved by ASTAP.app and not by EKOS

The _Light_M101.fits is solved by ASTAP without problems.

Ekos instructs ASTAP to solve this image
/private/var/folders/2b/5hc0l8dw8xl0g30059b1n9180000gn/T/fitsYeFVEO.fits

But this image doesn't solve. The command-line looks good. You have most likely have instructed EKOS to downsample the original image at this menu:


So the image should have half of the dimensions as the original. That's no problem because ASTAP will still be able to solve it. I can only proof/test it by the
/private/var/folders/2b/5hc0l8dw8xl0g30059b1n9180000gn/T/fitsYeFVEO.fits
image. Maybe down-sampling isn't done as expected. Maybe essential header info is missing or wrong. I can only test/investigate with this image.


An other thing you could try is just set the downsampling in above menu at 1. Then the image should the same and hopefully also the headers.


Han

As yet, I will stop trying to use ASTAP and use Astro.net.
Thanks for your help

I think your almost there. I assume your setting is suffering from double binning. Binning by Ekos and binning by ASTAP. It will work if you force ASTAP in binning 1 or 2 . The ASTAP auto binning=0 is somehow not enforced by EKOS because it is missing in the commandline.


Try
Ekos binning=2
ASTAP binning =1

or
Ekos binning=1
ASTAP binning=2

or
uncheck Ekos binning (check mark off)
ASTAP binning=2

That must work since the image solves without problems in ASTAP

Han

EKOS binning


ASTAP binning