DeepSkyStacker
What is DeepSkyStacker?
DeepSkyStacker is a freeware for astrophotographers that simplifies all the pre-processing steps of deep sky pictures.
Registering
Stacking
Simple post-stacking processes to quickly view the final result.
Saving the resulting image to a TIFF or FITS file (16 or 32 bit)
After a shooting
night you give all your pictures (light frames, darks frames,
offset/bias frames, flat frames) to DeepSkyStacker and you go to bed. The next morning (or is it
afternoon?) you can see the result and start post-processing.
If you can't wait, DeepSkyStacker Live is also available to watch the result of an ongoing imaging session being created as the images are downloaded from the CCD or DSLR.
if you want to translate DeepSkyStacker in another language click here.
Resource Localizer is used to keep DeepSkyStacker available and synchronized in all the languages
DeepSkyStacker: Main Features
Automatic registration of a set of pictures
Automatic detection of stars using all the picture area
Preview of registered stars
Sub pixel registration
Automatic derotation
Automatic creation and use of offsets, flats and darks frames
Sub pixel alignment and stacking
Supported bitmaps formats : 8, 16 and 32 bit colour and monochrome TIFF files, 8, 16, 32 and 64 bit colour and monochrome FITS files, JPEG, BMP, PNG
Native use of RAW files from most DSLRs (CR2, NEF, CRW, DNG ...) without using an intermediate file format (TIFF or other).
Darks, Flats and Offsets computed from and applied directly to the RAW picture before any interpolation.
Stacking methods: average, median, kappa-sigma clipping, auto adaptive weighted average, entropy weighted average, maximum...
Preview of all pictures (including RAW)
Simple post-processing with RGB levels, luminance curve and saturation adjustments.
Save the resulting picture to 16 or 32 bit TIFF or FITS files with or without adjustments applied.
Simple and intuitive user interface
Optimal memory usage: the same amount of memory is required to register and stack 10 or 500 pictures.
Optimal usage of all available processors (hyperthreaded, multiprocessors, duo and quad core processors)
English, Spanish, French, Czech, Italian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Traditional Chinese and Portuguese/Brazilian versions
DeepSkyStacker: Advanced Features
Automatic determination of Darks, Flats and Offsets to be applied to the pictures using ISO speed and exposure time.
Several methods to optimize the RAW files processing by using the best of the Bayer matrix without interpolating the missing pixels.
Option to automatically detect hot pixels and during the registering process
Options to automatically detect and remove hot pixels and bad columns during the stacking process
Options to detect and clean hot and cold pixels remaining after calibration.
Automatic flat calibration to equalize luminosity differences
Automatic calibration of pictures background for each channel
Automatic Dark Optimization
Automatic use of a bicubic, bilinear or bisquared alignment transformation depending of the number of stars.
Creation of File Lists to speed up loading of often used files (darks, flats, offsets/bias...).
Manual edition of stars and comet positions
Drizzle option (x2 or x3) during the stacking process.
Possible use of B&W 16 bit FITS files like RAW files (automatic use of a Bayer Filter Pattern).
Use of File Groups to simplify multiple nights on the same object file management.
Options to create a calibrated and registered file for each light frame.
Debloom
Cosmetic options to detect and clean remaining hot/cold pixels from calibrated images.
Feature to create Star Masks
Feature to batch multiple stacks
What is not DeepSkyStacker?
DeepSkyStacker is not a post processing software with advanced options like noise reduction, wavelets, unsharp mask...
DeepSkyStacker cannot be used for planetary pictures registering and stacking.
There is a lot of software (some free, some not) for these tasks:
Pleiades' PixInsight, Iris and of course Photoshop to name a few.
Spanish translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in
Spanish (including the help
file) thanks to Ricardo Contreras and his team from
Espacio Profundo:
Marcelo Abelenda, Federico Billia, Ricardo Contreras, Maximiliano Filoreto,
Elizabeth Lohrengel, Claudio Martinez, Esteban Pedroncini, Marcos Rodriguez and
Horacio Zaragoza.
Czech translation:
Program DeepSkyStacker je freeware grafický program
pro úpravu astronomických snímků. Je specializován na zpracování snímků hvězd a
jiných bodových zdrojů. Zpracovává 8, 16 a 32 bitové TIFF a FITS soubory a RAW
soubory z CCD snímačů, podporuje řadu digitálních kamer. Vytváří složením
několika obrazů přes sebe jeden snímek sledovaného úseku oblohy a přitom
odstraňuje vady snímacích prvků a objektivů včetně zemské rotace a umožňuje
dodatečné úpravy snímků. Pracuje v jazyce anglickém, českém, francouzském,
španělském a italském. Instalační soubor je anglický, ale vlastní program se
automaticky při spuštění přepne na podporovaný jazyk podle jazyku operačního
systému PC nebo podle volby jazyka v informačním okně programu. Nápověda je
anglická.
Český překlad: Přemysl Lukavský,
lukavsky.premysl@tiscali.cz
Italian translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in Italian thanks to
Fabio Papa
Nota agli utenti italiani: il programma di installazione e' ancora in inglese, come anche il file di help, ma tutto il resto e' tradotto in italiano.
Catalan translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in Catalan thanks to
Francesc Pruneda
Usuaris catalans han
d'utilitzar l'instal·lador en
castellŕ.
L'instal·lador i els arxius d'ajuda estan en castellŕ, perň la resta estŕ
traduida al catalŕ
German translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in German thanks to
Wilhelm-Michael Kasakow
Anmerkung für deutsche Benutzer: Sie müssen das deutsche Installationsprogramm verwenden.
Dutch translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in Dutch thanks to
Eelko Gielis
and Inge van de Stadt
Voor Nederlandse
gebruikers: U moet het Engelse installeer programma gebruiken.
Het installeer programma is nog steeds in het Engels als ook het help bestand
maar de rest is vertaald in het Nederlands.
Traditional Chinese translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in Traditional Chinese thanks to
Wei-Hao Wang
正體中文使用者:請安裝英文版。安裝程式與說明檔目前仍為英文,
其餘皆已中文化。
Portuguese/Brazilian translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in Portuguese thanks to
Manuel Fernandes.
Para os usuarios da lingua Portuguesa: devera baixar o DSS integralmente em portugues, juntamente com o ficheiro de ajuda, tambem em portugues. .
Romanian translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in Romanian thanks to
Emil Kolbert and Valentin
Stoica .
Nota pentru utilizatorii romani: va rog sa folositi programul de instalare in limba engleza, acesta nefiind tradus in romana. Intreaga interfata a programului DeepSkyStacker astfel instalat este tradusa si in limba romana..
Russian translation:
DeepSkyStacker is available in Russian thanks to
Oleg Milantiev.
Спасибо за русский перевод Олегу Милантьеву
Примечение для русских пользователей: пожалуйста, используйте английскую программу установки. Установка пройдёт на английском, но сама программа будет с русским интерфейсом..