TPoint™ Module

Buy the TPoint Module

What is TPoint? | What's New |  

Get there.

Finding objects in the night sky is difficult enough.  The optional TPoint module to TheSky improves your telescope's pointing accuracy just like professional observatories.

 

The optional TPoint module to TheSky Professional is telescope analysis and pointing correction software that identifies, quantifies and automatically compensates for systematic errors in "go to" telescopes.  It can also quantify the polar alignment of your equatorial mount, even when the celestial pole is not visible.

 

 

Face it. Your fancy "goto" telescope doesn't always place objects in the eyepiece, or on your CCD detector. Why? Because every telescope suffers from inherent errors that degrade pointing accuracy. Even telescopes like the Keck, Gemini, and Anglo-Australian Observatory have less than perfect pointing.  For years, professional astronomers at these and other observatories have relied on TPoint to improve the pointing of their telescopes.  Now you too can join the ranks of the pros by employing TPoint to make your telescope point more accurately.

How it works.

You collect pointing calibration data (either manually or automated) by slewing the telescope to a set of stars using TheSky and then recording the pointing error at each position.

 

TPoint uses this information to create the optimal telescope pointing model that automatically corrects repeatable errors each time the telescope is slewed.

 

With the TPoint, you will enjoy outstanding pointing accuracy, spend less time centering objects and more time observing.  Isn't that the point?

 

What's new with TPoint.

 

TPoint is an optional module to TheSky.  There is no separate installer, no separate application.  Just activate the TPoint module using your serial number, then click the TPoint module command from TheSky menu to get started.

 

  • TPoint functionality is completely integrated with TheSky

From TheSky, click Telescope > TPoint to access the TPoint window.

 

  • Works on macOS, Windows, Linux and Raspbian (Raspberry Pi)

  

 

 

  • Super Model

 

Take the Guess Work Out of Creating the Telescope Model

TPoint's Super Model feature automatically computes the optimal pointing model for your imaging system.  A simple button click use all the CPU cores of your computer to perform an extensive statistical analysis of your mount's pointing calibration data and converges on the ideal pointing model. 

 

 

Super Model window showing optimal pointing results.

 

  • 90-day trial period

 

 

Use TPoint for a 90 days, free.  The trial stars when you first launch TheSky.

 

  • Easy to use interface

 

 

 

 

  • Modeling results are shown on the TPoint window and directly on TheSky's Telescope window

 

  • Automated Pointing Calibration

 
 

TheSky Professional with the Cameras+ module and the TPoint module allow pointing samples to be acquired autonomously with automated pointing calibration.  

 

Once the Camera module has been configured to acquire CCD photos and your telescope and CCD camera’s field of view parameters have been determined, the TPoint module can be used to generate a distribution of optimal azimuth and altitude targets that are used to point the telescope. 

 

Generating pointing samples is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

 

Step 1: Setup Pointing Calibration...

 

 

Step 2: Create Pointing Targets...

 

 

Step 3: Acquire Pointing Samples...

 

 

After collecting your pointing calibration samples, use the Super Model feature to generate the optimal pointing model for your telescope!

 

What's Not New

As with TheSky, essentially every feature from TPoint for Windows Version 1 is included in the TPoint module:

 

  • Polar Alignment Report

  • ProTrack™ for improved Paramount mount tracking performance.

  • Import/Export TPoint data

  • Scatter diagrams and other graphs

  • Edit pointing term values

  • Command line access to the TPoint engine