My Astronomy Equipment

2, Astronomy Software:

During the 1990s, software for astro image processing was difficult to find, and for Windows even more. Now there are many very good software to choose from. Control software for the equipment has developed a lot too.

Windows software:

I run these software on Windows XP, Vista, Win 8, Win 10.

All these software are free to download, some can be paid to get extra features.

Installed in astro server (Windows):

• UltraVNC (sever) *:http://www.uvnc.com/

  Remote controller of astro server.

• ASCOM:http://ascom-standards.org/

  Connecting my software together.

• EQMOD:http://eq-mod.source forge.net/

  Direct controlling my EQ6 mount without the hand terminal connected. See also Yahoo forum.

• CdC (Skychart) *:https://source forge.net/ projects/ skychart/

  Starchart, navigate and controlling position of telescope.

• APT, Astro Photography Tool:http://www.ideiki.com/ astro/

  APT control my Canon camera, focus motor, mount, dithering (together with PHD2). Very satisfied with APT but it's only a Windows software. I have moved over to Linux today.

• N.I.N.A., Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy:https://nighttime-imaging.eu/

  N.I.N.A., control my camera, mount, focus etc.

• USB-Focus *:http://www.usb-foc.us/ page/ docs-and-software

  USB-Focus, software that control the focus stepper motor and temperature compensation.

• PHD2, Push Here Dummy:http://openphd guiding.org/

  Auto guiding, dithering, polar drift align, comet guiding.

• AstroTortilla:https://source forge.net/ projects/ astrotortilla/

  My first Plate Solve, fascinating to see how it find objects and calibrate pointing of the telescope, normally better than 1'.

• ASP, All Sky Plate Solver:http://www.astrogb.com/ astrogb/ All_Sky_Plate_Solver.html

  Under test as a replacement for AstroTortilla.

• PS2, PlateSolve 2:http://plane wave.com/ downloads/ software/

  Under test as a replacement for AstroTortilla.

• ASTAP, Astrometric STAcking Program *:https://www.hnsky.org/ astap.htm

  ASTAP I use together with APT and N.I.N.A. to plate solve. Use it also to analyze my images.

Installed in client (Windows):

• UltraVNC (client):http://www.uvnc.com/

  Remote controller of astroserver.

• WinSCP (client) *:https://winscp.net/eng/

  Remote controller of Raspberry server.

• Iris:http://www.astrosurf.com/ buil/ iris-software.html

  This was one of my first astro image processing software, very competent in those days, 2005 ?

• DSS, Deep Sky Stacker:http://deep sky stacker.free.fr/ english/

  I use DSS to calibrate and stack my images, nothing more, deliver the file to next program as a FITS 32 bit floating point. Get the latest beta ver: 3.3.4 or newer. Lately there is a new 64 bit version.

• Dark Master:https://source forge.net/ projects/ darkmaster/ files/

  If you have a Canon camera with a temperature sensor (all EOS models with live view I think), then you can have use of Dark Master that arrange your images after the temperature, exposure and ISO setting and build a batch file to DSS. Then you will have a much better temperature match between object images and dark images.

• Fitswork *:http://www.fits work.de/ software/ softw_en.php

  I use this program to process my stacked image. Menus are in English but the help in German languish:
  Fitswork tutorial, in English

• AstroImageJ *:http://www. astro.louis ville.edu/ software/ astroimagej/

  I use to process astrophotos. Very advanced, free and it's possible to write your own plugins. I'm learning to write macros to it and I have them for download on my tutorial page. Already now I get much better flat calibration of my old images, much better cancelation of static pattern and no more debayering, I do demosaic, align much better and it's a rgb align which reduce chromatic problems:
  AstroImageJ tutorial

• Siril *:https://siril.org/

  My favorite software Fitswork and ImageJ aging. This is my latest software, it replace partly my old astro image processing software. One fun thing, it's based on the old Iris which I used many years ago

• IrfanView *:http://www.irfan view.com/

  To batch scale, rename, resize. It can also show Canon raw files. See example here how I use it:
  Dark calibration tutorial

• Gimp *:https://www.gimp.org/

  Gimp has advanced a lot the last years, from ver 2.10 it handle 32 bit floating pint Fits file. I use it a lot to edit my astro images.

• Exiftool *:https://exiftool.org/

  Used to change metadata in image files.

Android apps:

I run these apps on Android telephone or pad.

All these apps are free to download, some can be paid to get extra features.

• Simple Astronomy Tools *: https://play. google.com/ store/ apps/ details?id= com.hrastro.simple astrotools

  This one I use to find where to place polarstar on the gudie scope circle. And also to find what objects to watch under the night.

• PolarisView: https://play. google.com/ store/ apps/ details?id=com.watware. www.polarisview

  PolarisView, same as above.

• Exsate Golden hour: https://play. google.com/ store/apps/details?id= exsate.goldenhour

  Exsate Golden hour, use it to get the time when it's really dark, Astronomical Night and when no moon disturb.

• Sky Map: https://play. google.com/ store/ apps/ details?id= com.google. android.stardroid

  Sky Map, a help to find the objects on the night sky.

• Night Sky Tools: https://play. google.com/ store/ apps/ details?id= com.smeunier. nightskytools

  Night Sky Tools, another star map, haven't use it very much yet.

Linux software:

New project to use a Raspberry one board computer with Linux as an astro server. After five years of struggling with this it's now my setup to control the astro equipment. Replace the bulky power consuming Windows server.

All these apps are free to download, some can be paid to get extra features.

• Raspberry astro server project: ../projects/ project-kstars-indi-linux/ project-kstars-indi-linux.html

  KStars and Indi are part of Linux software that I use in this project.

• Astroberry astro server project *: ../projects/ project-kstars-raspberrypi4/ 01-project-kstars-raspberrypi4.html

  Package of needed software.

• Astroberry Server: https://www.astroberry.io/

  Install on the minimalistic Raspberry computer.

* still in use

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