AstroFrame 1.0.0
AstroFrame helps astrophotographers answer a simple question:
“I like this astrophotograph — how can I frame something like it with my own equipment?”
Load a reference image and AstroFrame can identify and plate-solve the field, show objects within it, compare the image with your own telescope/camera combinations, suggest framing and rotation, plan mosaics, assess when the target is observable from your location, and hand the resulting framing information on to acquisition software such as NINA.
Highlights
- Load your own reference astrophotographs
- Local ASTAP plate solving, with Astrometry.net fallback
- Identify targets and display catalogue objects within the image
- Define multiple telescope and camera combinations
- Compare each rig's field of view directly against the reference image
- Equipment Advisor for choosing the most suitable rig
- Interactive framing and rotation
- Automatic mosaic planning
- Observability planning for your own observing location
- Import additional astronomical target catalogues
- Export framing information for NINA and ASIAIR
- Persistent settings, equipment, catalogues and solved-image cache
macOS
This release is for Apple-silicon Macs (arm64).
Download AstroFrame-1.0.0-macOS-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag AstroFrame into the Applications folder.
Important first-launch note
AstroFrame 1.0.0 is not yet Apple Developer ID signed and notarized. macOS may therefore block it the first time you open it.
If that happens, after attempting to launch AstroFrame go to:
System Settings → Privacy & Security
and use Open Anyway for AstroFrame.
Only override this protection for a copy of AstroFrame you deliberately downloaded from this project's official GitHub release.
Windows
This release is also available for 64-bit Windows.
Download AstroFrame-1.0.0-Windows-x64.zip, extract the ZIP file, and run AstroFrame.exe.
No Python installation is required.
AstroFrame can use ASTAP for local plate solving if it is installed, with Astrometry.net available as the online fallback.
Plate solving
AstroFrame 1.0.0
AstroFrame helps astrophotographers answer a simple question:
“I like this astrophotograph — how can I frame something like it with my own equipment?”
Load a reference image and AstroFrame can identify and plate-solve the field, show objects within it, compare the image with your own telescope/camera combinations, suggest framing and rotation, plan mosaics, assess when the target is observable from your location, and hand the resulting framing information on to acquisition software such as NINA.
Highlights
- Load your own reference astrophotographs
- Local ASTAP plate solving, with Astrometry.net fallback
- Identify targets and display catalogue objects within the image
- Define multiple telescope and camera combinations
- Compare each rig's field of view directly against the reference image
- Equipment Advisor for choosing the most suitable rig
- Interactive framing and rotation
- Automatic mosaic planning
- Observability planning for your own observing location
- Import additional astronomical target catalogues
- Export framing information for NINA and ASIAIR
- Persistent settings, equipment, catalogues and solved-image cache
macOS
This release is for Apple-silicon Macs (arm64).
Download AstroFrame-1.0.0-macOS-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag AstroFrame into the Applications folder.
Important first-launch note
AstroFrame 1.0.0 is not yet Apple Developer ID signed and notarized. macOS may therefore block it the first time you open it.
If that happens, after attempting to launch AstroFrame go to:
System Settings → Privacy & Security
and use Open Anyway for AstroFrame.
Only override this protection for a copy of AstroFrame you deliberately downloaded from this project's official GitHub release.
Windows
This release is also available for 64-bit Windows.
Download AstroFrame-1.0.0-Windows-x64.zip, extract the ZIP file, and run AstroFrame.exe.
No Python installation is required.
Plate solving
AstroFrame uses ASTAP for fast local plate solving. ASTAP and an ASTAP star database must be installed separately; they are not bundled with AstroFrame. Astrometry.net is available as the online fallback.
This is the first public release of AstroFrame. Feedback, bug reports and real-world astrophotography torture tests are very welcome.
This is the first public release of AstroFrame. Feedback, bug reports and real-world astrophotography torture tests are very welcome.