ABSTRACT
The mainstream image acquisition applications have varying degrees of automation, of which simple sequencing is the backbone. Automation features basically fall into several categories: target planning, acquisition automation, observatory control and remote control. Planning involves selecting an object, ensuring it is visible during the imaging window and setting its coordinates. Most planning tools can selectively choose objects from a catalog visibility and so on and export into a proprietary file format. Observatory control is becoming increasingly relevant to many amateurs. Physical observatory includes dome and roof operation in harmony with the mount. Remote power control and USB resetting is a must for an unmanned observatory. Software does crash for any number of reasons and sometimes the only solution is to selectively or globally reset the USB or power system. Scripts are a simple way of automating repetitive tasks with ease. They make use of the public methods and properties made available by the various applications and the operating system.
