Resources
This page contains links to obtain software, scripts, websites, and tools that are related to astrophotography. I started with resources I use in my own workflows, but would like to make this a comprehensive resource for everyone. If you use, maintain, or sell a tool you believe should be listed here, share your details by using the add me issue to file your request. You don’t have to own it to nominate it.
Legend: Free or donation Fee Subscription Trial or limited versions available Web-based Windows only Planetary
Software for imaging planets, the sun, and the moon using the 'lucky imaging' technique.
Nighttime Imaging N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A.)
N.I.N.A. offers a broad variety of capabilities. The toolset spans from choosing, framing, focusing, centering and imaging one or multiple targets and much more.
Easy and flexible capturing tool. Sensor analysis, focus guide, polar alignment, imaging sequencing, and more.
Astronomy Common Object Model (ASCOM)
A universal set of drivers to control various pieces of astrophotography hardware.
Control software for Celestron mounts. Includes planetarium. Integrates with ASCOM.
Open source software for controlling mounts.
PixInsight Scripts (install repo)
This link is what you use in PixInsight as the repo source to auto-add the scripts.
Scripts for balancing color channels, generating luminosity masks, and more. Link to source code.
Free suite of software for ZWO line of products. Includes planetary, deep space and meteor capture, live stacking, and both deep sky and planetary stacking.
Free suite of software for Sony cameras. Has remote control, software-based intervalometer, browsing and editing tools. Not available on Linux.
Planetarium software that provides a 3D view of the sky, shows you a field of view based on your camera and lenses, and integrates with various acquisition software and mounts.
Web-based version of the app.
Very helpful software to plan targets. You can choose the type, see how it will change altitude and decide what times to image, and even see a field of view. Also very helpful for planning mosaics.
Astrometric STAcking Program (ASTAP)
Fast plate-solving (requires database download) that integrates with most software. Also does stacking and live stacking.
Powerful free plate-solving tool that is slower than other methods but accurately solves more images than any other tool that I am aware of. Also has a developer API for integration.
Stacking software for planets and lunar/solar surfaces. See also AstroSurface.
Free and open source image processing software.
Planetary Image Pre-Processing (PIPP) 64-bit Installer
Pre-processing for lucky imaging. Image detection, surface detection, centering, leveling, and more. Discontinued, but download is available via Player One site. See AstroSurface for a supported program that does the same only better and faster.
Planetary post-processing tool for aligning and sharpening images.
In my opinion the best software available to denoise star-free images.
Includes ephemerides (see how a planet is rotated and the orbital positions of its moons) and de-rotation (for longer exposures, projects your image and re-aligns it based on timestamps). Also runs on Linux.
Freeware for registering and stacking.
Free software for stacking images. Specializes in widefield images taken with mirrorless and DSL cameras.
Tool that excels in stacking images from varying exposures and focal lengths or different sessions and filters. Modest suite of post-processing tools included.
Incredibly fast tool for lucky imaging and planetary processing. Also handles deep sky objects and stacking.
My 'gold standard' for astrophotography. PixInsight is to astrophotography what Photoshop and Lightroom are to more traditional photography. Steep learning curve but incredible suite of modules.
Astronomical stacking and processing tool.
Free (with benefits from a subscription) web-based gallery that is useful for both storing images and related capture information and finding examples of images based on the target and equipment used.
Suite of calculators and field of view utilities to help maximize use of your lens and sensors (cameras).
Fast and efficient image viewer, resizer, and touch-up tool that supports a huge variety of image formats.