A schedule is a plan for an ideal night; real nights have autofocus runs, safety holds, and cloud bands. Playback mode decides how NINA follows the plan when reality has pushed it off the timeline.
Time-Aware (default) #
After a delay, the container jumps to the entry that should be running right now according to the clock. A 40-minute safety closure means those exposures are skipped and the night stays on schedule – filters keep matching the plan’s moon windows, and later targets start on time. This is the right mode for most automated setups, especially where safety closures happen.
Sequential #
Entries run strictly in order, never skipping. After a delay the night simply runs behind plan, and a block captures fewer subs if it runs out of window. Choose this when capturing every planned sub in order matters more than tracking the timeline – short interruptions, forgiving targets.
Choosing #
The setting lives in the desktop simulator’s Step 1 (per rig) and is read at the start of each block, so a change mid-night takes effect at the next block. When in doubt: Time-Aware. The block end time is a hard boundary in both modes – neither will overrun into the next target’s window.