ASTRO PROGRAMS (free)
This section contains free software programs for astrophotography with various purposes.
- ASTROMETRY
- CALIBRATION
- DATA ANALYSIS
- IMAGE ACQUISITION
- IMAGE PROCESSING
- SESSION MANAGEMENT
- SKY SIMULATION
- SPECTROSCOPY
- TELESCOPE CONTROL
- OTHER
DeepSkyStacker – deepskystacker.free.fr
A free tool for stacking astrophotography images to improve their quality by reducing noise and increasing detail.
GIMP – gimp.org
An open-source image editor that can be used for processing and editing astrophotography images.
Siril – siril.org
An open-source software for astronomical image processing that includes stacking, calibration, and enhancement tools.
Stellarium – stellarium.org
A free planetarium software that helps plan astrophotography sessions by simulating the night sky.
Regim – astrosurf.com/regim
A free software for stacking and processing images of deep-sky objects.
PIPP – pipp.github.io
A free program for preprocessing images by converting, aligning, and stacking video frames from astrophotography sessions.
KStars – kstars.org
A free desktop planetarium software that can be used for planning and executing astrophotography sessions.
IRIS – astrosurf.com/buil/us/iris/iris.htm
A free astronomical image processing software with features for calibration, stacking, and enhancement.
Astronomy Tools – astronomy.tools
Provides free online tools for astrophotography calculations, such as exposure time calculators and field-of-view estimators.
XnView – xnview.com
A free image viewer and editor that can be used for basic astrophotography image processing tasks.
Fits Liberator – fitsliberator.si.edu
A free tool for converting FITS files (a common format in astronomy) to other image formats and performing basic processing.
FireCapture – firecapture.de
A free software for capturing video from webcams and planetary cameras, useful for high-resolution imaging.
SharpCap – sharpcap.co.uk
Offers a free version of their software for capturing and live-stacking astronomical images.
SkySafari (Free Version) – skysafariastronomy.com
The free version of this app provides basic features for star mapping and identifying celestial objects.
AstroPixelProcessor – astropixelprocessor.com
While it has a paid version, the free version allows access to basic image processing features.
Nebulosity (Free Trial) – stark-labs.com
Although Nebulosity offers a free trial, the basic version can be used with limited features at no cost.
Planetarium – sourceforge.net/projects/planetarium
A free open-source planetarium software for planning observations and astrophotography.
Celestia – celestia.space
A free space simulation software that allows you to explore the universe and plan your astrophotography sessions.
AstroImager – skysafariapp.com
While it has paid versions, there is a free version available that provides basic imaging and tracking features.
Blender – blender.org
A powerful open-source 3D modeling software that can also be used for advanced image processing and animation of astronomical images.
Registax – registax.net
Free software for aligning, stacking, and processing planetary and lunar images.
Astronomy Log – sourceforge.net/projects/astronomylog
A free tool for keeping a log of your astronomical observations and imaging sessions.
Photopea – photopea.com
An online image editor similar to Photoshop, useful for processing and editing astrophotography images.
AstroArt – microsoft.com
Offers a free version with limited features, which can be useful for basic image processing tasks.