Embedded Files
Updated April 2018
Looking for a free script that adds a stamp of the solar altitude onto an image for NLC research? Find it linked below.
This script is especially useful if you want to do a time-lapse with the Altitude labeled in a corner, or are processing hundreds of images. There is also a "text-only" mode where nothing is done to images, just create a file listing with the image name and corresponding UTC date and solar Alt-Az.
Launch the script from the directory/folder containing the images. It does a quick interview for lat,lon,elev, offset of camera time to UT, and choice of parameters, creates a subfolder for the output, then churns away. The Altitude stamp is put on a copy of the image; one of your choices is to resize the image (defaults to 1080 in the vertical).
As much as it was designed to run on windows, it will work on linux with minor modification of the directory (\ instead of /) parameters.
Requirements:
- ImageMagick (free)
- ActiveState Perl (free) on Windows with a free Komodo editor
- Internet [to access JPL's Horizons ephemeris service]
The process:
- Questions the user for lat,lon, the camera's offset from UT, and a few parameters
- Extracts the "modified" date time of the first image in the folder, adds the offset to get to UT
- Creates a JPL Horizons batch file request for the solar alt for every minute over the next 12h
- Sends request to JPL then ingests the returned results
- Loops through all the images in the folder,
- matches the image time (converted to UT) to a JPL time (nearest minute)
- writes to a output text file
- if writing on image
- resizes the image (if you chose this option)
- Adds the Solar Altitude stamp in the lower left
If anyone would like to see modifications/enhancements, let me know! Service gmail.com, user dawnskygaze.
I am not in a position to turn this into a stand-alone Windows desktop app.
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