OS X image processing software

Dear members, I'm using a Windows based Laptop to run the camera (STF8300) and to save the files as FITS (using SBiG provided drivers and software).

Everything is working well.

Is there software which I can download which will allow me to process these images under OS X?

I have read some of the past forum posts and do not need to drive the camera, do not wish to partition the Laptop. Only need to replicate the post processing functions in CCDOps.

I was looking at Maxim DL but that's only Windows based.

Many thanks for any advice.

Marcus
Tasmania

 

Hello Marcus.

It's not clear if you are looking for free or paid-for OS-X post-processing software.

There is a free CCDOps Lite version for OS-X available on the download page for your STF8300 but I no longer have a SBIG camera myself and therefore can not open it to test on my Mac (CCDOps for Mac looks for a connected SBIG camera at launch and will not open if it does not find one). I don't think it has much in the way of post processing capability but you can find it here, under the downloads tab, and give it a try:

http://diffractionlimited.com/product/stf-8300/

There is very little in the way of simple, easy-to-use, free, deep-space astrophotography software for the Mac OS-X though of the few free packages SiriL may offer what you want, it would certainly replicate the post processing features available in CCDOps:

https://www.siril.org

If you are looking for something to process science imagery with a greater degree of user control then (Astro) ImageJ would be the stepping off point but be warned ImageJ is not particularly user friendly and has a big learning curve. The upside is that it is infinitely customisable with many educational institutes providing open-source plug-ins that extend ImageJ's functionality and you can write your own plug-ins for specific purposes. (Astro) ImageJ is a sub branch of plain vanilla ImageJ that was originally developed for the bio sciences and was written to support the Microscopy and Crystallography fields. (Astro) ImageJ is the same platform but with plug-ins written for astrophotography. (Astro) ImageJ was the image processing package that my university provided when I was studying for a degree. I have the impression that (Astro) ImageJ has not kept up with the latest OS-X platforms and there has been little in the way of active development so there may be a few bugs and rough edges when running in OS-X Mojave.

https://www.astro.louisville.edu/software/astroimagej/

If you are prepared to pay for the software then there are many packages to choose from, you can find a list of the most popular free and paid-for packages at the MAC OBSERVATORY web site here:

https://www.macobservatory.com

I have been using a Mac for post processing astrophotography imagery for the last ten years and currently I use PixInsight exclusively. In the past I have also used Nebulosity from Stark Labs and evaluated Astro Pixel Processor by Aries Productions, both Nebulosity and APP will replicate and exceed the post processing features of CCDOps.

In the astronomy group to which I belong I know that several members have run the full Windows version of CCDOps under WINE on the Mac platform with some success, though it takes some configuring to get it to see a connected camera as CCDOps will not open unless a SBIG camera is recognised on a USB port and WINE does not appear to handle the latest OS-X Mojave USB protocols reliably, there is also a security issue running WINE on a Mac and we have been advised by our remote observatory hosting partners that they won't allow WINE on any of the observatories Mac computers at this time.

Hope the above has given you a few hints.

William.

 

William B, thank you for such a detailed and comprehensive reply.

I'm happy to pay for good software. You have given me plenty of links and info which will definitely help.

Again many thanks,

Marcus
Tasmania.

 

Colin, thank you for the offer, but I’m too new to this aspect of astronomy to really be of any help.

I will monitor this software and maybe later on I might get a copy.

Thanks again,

Marcus
Tasmania

 

yes Colin would be very much interested
Bob