Account Setup¶

1. Sign In / Register¶

Open AstroManager and sign in with your account. If this is your first time, complete the registration flow first.

2. Create your first Observatory¶

Go to Settings → Observatories and create an observatory that matches your real imaging location.

This is the foundation for:

• observability calculations
• moon separation checks
• twilight windows

3. Create Your First Equipment¶

Go to Settings → Equipment and create the setup you use for imaging. Afterwards assign it to the Observatory.

4. Choose Your First Targets¶

Open AstroManager and pick some realistic targets for the first test night. Good ways to do that are Target Search & Filtering with observability filters, or the Sky Atlas if you prefer a more visual workflow.

Once you find good candidates, you can either add them directly as Targets if you want to image them soon, or save them in Bookmarks if you are still collecting ideas.

If you already maintain target lists in Telescopius, you can also import them via Settings => Import/Export.

5. Create a Client¶

If you plan to use the N.I.N.A. integration, go to Settings → Client Configuration and create a client for the machine or rig that will run the session.

The client is the identity of that setup inside AstroManager. When you create it, copy the license key you receive. You will need it in the plugin configuration.

If you are using AstroManager without N.I.N.A., you can skip this step for now.

6. N.I.N.A.: Install the Plugin¶

Install the AstroManager plugin directly from the official N.I.N.A. plugin repository, then connect it with the license key from the client you just created.

If you use a mono camera with a filter wheel, check once whether your N.I.N.A. filter names already match AstroManager's standard filter names: L, R, G, B, Ha, OIII, SII.

If they do not match, open Remote Control, go to the filter wheel controls, and configure a Filter Mapping so AstroManager can translate the names correctly.

AstroManager will also show a warning in Session Status when it auto-detects missing filter mappings for a mono client.

7. N.I.N.A.: Prepare the Sequence¶

The sequence should contain:

• your normal startup instructions
• the triggers you want to use, with a minimum recommendation of meridian flip, restore guiding, autofocus, or center after drift
• at least the AstroManager loop condition so the sequence keeps running while useful targets are available
• the AstroManager target scheduler inside that loop
• your normal shutdown instructions

A minimal structure could look like this:

Startup instructions
Sequential Instruction Set
|- Triggers you want to use
|- Loop While (AstroManager Loop Condition)
|  |- AstroManager Target Scheduler
Shutdown instructions

For more information about the plugin setup, see N.I.N.A. Plugin Overview.

Ready for the First Imaging Nights¶

Once this is done, you can load the sequence in N.I.N.A., start the session, and let AstroManager hand over the next target when useful work is available.

That is enough to begin your first real imaging nights with AstroManager.