In this article, I will list all astrophotography software and their download links you may need during your astrophotography journey. Bookmark this page for future use.
Planetarium Software
Stellarium – is perhaps the most popular free planetarium. There is a paid version for Android.
Cartes du Ciel – is a free planetarium.
Celestia – in this planetarium, you can travel the Universe.
StarCalc – is an old but quite working planetarium.
RedShift – is a paid planetarium. It has a relatively wide range of capabilities, and there are versions for PC, Android, and iPad/iPhone.
Space Engine – is a planetarium space simulator that allows you to explore the Universe in three dimensions.
Kstars – is a planetarium part of the KDE Education Project. Knows how to control a connected telescope. Works on Windows, macOS, Linux.
You may also like to read: Astrophotography: A Guide for the Astrophotography Enthusiasts
Astrophotography Equipment Management Software
ASCOM – is a free complex for controlling various astronomical devices from mounts and cameras to motorized filter wheels and the observatory dome.
EQMOD – is a free suite of applications that can provide an alternative to manual control of supported German equatorial mounts.
INDI – is a free set of applications for managing various astronomical devices in the UNIX environment.
ACP – Observatory Management Complex. One of the best solutions for automated observatories.
PERecorder – is a program for recording periodic mount errors.
You may also like to read: Astrophotography Equipment: A Buyer’s Guide for Beginners
Software for Astrophotography of the Sun, Moon, and Planets
FireCapture – is a program for capturing video images from cameras.
SharpCap – is an alternative program for capturing video images from cameras.
EOS Movie Record – is a handy video capture software for Canon DSLR cameras. (Not in English).
Image Processing Software for Astrography
AutoStakkert 3 – is a program for selecting and adding frames.
Registax – is an alternative program for selecting and adding personnel.
Astra Image – is a paid program for post-processing images. Version 3.0 is free.
PIPP – is a program with settings for converting, cropping, aligning for videos / single frames.
WinJUPOS – is a program for the de-rotation of planetary images.
ImPPG – is a program for post-processing images.
Astrophotography Software for Deep Space Objects
PHD2 Guiding – is free guiding software.
PHD Guiding – is an old version of the guiding software. It may be useful to someone.
Lin-guider – is a free guiding software for Linux.
Maxim DL – is a paid program for guiding, shooting, calibrating, adding.
Nebulosity 3 – is a paid program for shooting, it can make interframe shifts through PHD.
Nebulosity 4 – is a paid program for shooting, it can make interframe shifts through PHD.
APT – Astro Photography Tool – is a shareware program for shooting, it can make interframe movements through PHD. You also need a Tooltip file.
Sequence Generator Pro – paid program for shooting.
BackyardEOS – is a paid software for shooting with Canon cameras. There is a trial version.
BackyardNIKON – is a paid program for shooting with NIKON cameras. There is a trial version.
Astrophotography Software for Calibration, Addition and Post-Processing of Deep Sky Objects
PixInsight 1.8 – is a paid program for calibration, image stacking, and powerful post-processing.
DeepSkyStacker – is a free simple program for calibrating and stacking images.
FITStacker – is a free program for optimal stacking of fits-files.
IRIS – image calibration and stacking, image capture, astrometry, and other functions.
Fitswork – is a program for adding and post-processing images.
Astro Pixel Processor – is a paid program for registration, calibration, and post-processing of images. There is a 30-day trial.
StarTools – is a paid image post-processing program.
Assistant Programs for Shooting and Processing
JID (Jovian Impacts Detection) – is a program for analyzing Jupiter videos for various impacts.
SER Player – is a video player for SER files.
PinPoint – is a paid software for astrometric image processing and FITS files.
Bahtinov grabber – is a free star-based focusing assistant.
AutoFlats – is a free program for automatic flat shooting. Requires MaximDL 5.
CCDInspector – is a paid program for image sorting, telescope calibration, and optical analysis in real-time.
Astrophotography Software for Mobile Devices on Android
Stellarium Mobile – is a paid mobile version of the popular planetarium.
DSO Planner – is a free planetarium.
Astro Panel – astro weather forecast.
ISS Detector – alerts about the visibility of the International Space Station and Iridium flares.
Polar Finder – is an inexpensive program to help you align the polar axis of an equatorial mount.
Sun Today – shows the current solar activity (SDO source).
Heavens-Above – Real-time tracking of various satellites.
If you are using any other astrophotography software, please comment below with their download link. If you found this helpful article for your photography journey of extra-terrestrial objects and sky, please share it on social media and bookmark it for future use.
