Category: Software

Making Your Device RED

Equipment, Guides, Software, Youtube VideoAstro EscapeLeave a comment
Introduction In astrophotography it is inevitable that you will use a screen of some sort to control your gear. Whether you are using a PC, Phone, or Tablet, almost all gear requires external control. To protect your night vision and those around you, your screen needs to be tinted red, and be as dim as possible. This also helps your light pollution footprint if you are say, at a star party. In this article, we are going to go over how to turn your screen red on all common operating systems and devices. Making Your Device Red – Things to…

Pixinsight Top Five Common Processes

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Introduction When you first start using Pixinsight, there’s a lot to learn. Be aware that there are some processes that you will use almost every time you process an image. In this post, we go over the Pixinsight top five common processes, to help you get going. I’ll give a slight example of what each does, but keep in mind that this won’t go in depth, this is a general overview. Pixinsight Common Process Number 1: Screen Transfer Function This is Pixinisight’s auto stretch. One thing to note is that this is just a preview, not an actual stretch. But,…

Which Software to Use? Astrophotography Programs Master List

Articles, Guides, Guides and Tools, SoftwareAstro Escape3 Comments
Below you’ll find the list of currently used programs for Astrophotography. There’s a lot out there, all covering each step of the process. We all need to plan our sessions under the stars. There’s acquisition software, for when you are actually under the stars collecting data. There’s also processing. I’ll also link a few websites that are great for sharing your images if you had planned on it!  Because this is intended to be a master list, if you know of something I missed, please reach out to me with the price, operating system, and a brief description and I’ll…

How to Add Landscape to Stellarium

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Introduction Stellarium has a lot of landscape already built in, but wouldn’t it be nice to have the landscape where you usually are observing or imaging from? In this guide, we will go over how to add landscapes to Stellarium. We’ll need to use a panorama image, so if you don’t have one we’ll go over how to get one using Google Maps. Stellarium comes with a bunch of ground textures to choose from, even some fun ones like Mars and Saturn. But if you are in planning, it’s advantageous to have the ground be the same location you’ll be…

How to Add Your Gear to Stellarium

Guides, SoftwareAstro Escape9 Comments
Introduction When first using Stellarium, it comes with quite a few telescope, eyepiece, and camera options. However, it’s impossible to include every variation out there by default. Would you like to know how to add your own gear to Stellarium?  Below you’ll find my guide to adding your gear. If you follow the steps below, you’ll be able to tell what objects will look like with your specific combination of gear. Fortunately, it’s very easy to do. Getting Started Before adding your gear, go to the manufacturer’s website or a store website to look for the specifications for each item.  …

Deep Sky Stacker Quick Guide For Beginners

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Deep Sky Stacker can be daunting when you first start out, but it doesn’t have to be. In this guide, I will walk you through the absolute basics of using Deep Sky Stacker. Please do be aware that this guide is for complete beginners, more advanced options will not be discussed in this guide! If you are looking at how to stack moon and planetary images, check out the guide here, because Deep Sky Stacker does not work for Solar System objects! Downloading and Installing Deep Sky Stacker If you don’t already have Deep Sky Stacker installed, head on over…

Vixen Polarie Star Tracker Review

Hardware Reviews, Reviews, Software, Youtube VideoAstro Escape
Are you looking for a star tracker that is lightweight and versatile? In this review, I will list a few features, pros, and cons of the Vixen Polarie Star Tracker. Features The Vixen Polarie has multiple useful modes: Side reel tracking (star tracking) ½ side reel tracking – useful for time lapses and longer milky way exposures Lunar Solar It has a tilt meter to set it to your latitude This tracker runs off of AA batteries OR can be powered with an external battery. Also, in the battery compartment, this is where the switch for north and south is…

How to Process a Moon Photo Using Video From A DSLR

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A common method for taking Moon photos is to use video. This guide will walk you through the steps for processing a Moon photo using video from a DSLR. This guide assumes you already have video of the Moon, but if you don’t, you can practice with the file located here. When you are done with this guide, please VirtualDub When learning how to process a Moon photo from video taken with DSLR, you need to convert it from the default .mp4 to an uncompressed .avi. Think of this like the difference in processing JPG’s vs RAW files. All of the…

Free Planetarium Software: Stellarium for Beginners

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Introduction When planning shots, looking at paper charts can be a good method to see when and where in the night sky a target you may want to shoot will be. But what if you could see a virtual representation of the sky, with all objects around it, and the ground where you will be shooting from? In this article, I will provide a general overview of the powerful program, Stellarium. Since the initial posting of the attached video published in 2021, there are quite a few helpful tips I have figured out to assist with your beginning into Stellarium.…