Drawing a tracking box allows you to track (that is, to follow) a bright spot that is surrounded by a dark area.
This is very much like your telescope’s tracking feature.
A centroid is the spot where the crosshairs meet. You can use the centroids to help you center an object in a
box. The centroid is used for shifting an image before it is combined in a composite image, and also is used for
autoguiding.
To create a tracking box, just use the cursor to draw a box around an object. For
your first tests of this feature, try to choose an object that is bright and has a
dark area surrounding it. You can experiment with this as you get familiar with
the function.
Check the Track box; the box now moves to keep the object centered.
If you’re tracking a crater on the moon, draw the box about the center or a bright spot in a crater.
Normally, you will check the Track box. However, if you’re imaging the moon or a terrestrial object, uncheck the
Track box. The box will now remain stationary, but the centroid will follow the bright spots (but won’t move the
box location on the screen).
You can turn tracking on and off while you are creating a composite image.
Tracking Boxes and Centroids
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