AstroResolver for PixInsight
Welcome to AstroResolver
* AstroResolver is part of the Better PI Suite bundle.
AstroResolver computes an astrometric solution (a WCS) for the active image and writes it back into the image, so that every other astrometry-aware tool in PixInsight, such as image annotation or a finding chart, knows exactly where each pixel points on the sky.
What sets AstroResolver apart is that it is designed for images that we know nothing about them except the object's name or designation: no focal length, no pixel size, no approximate coordinates in the header, no known scale, possible distortions, and obviously, the image has no astrometric or instrumentation metadata at all.
The only thing we provide is an approximate sky position, and even that we can supply by name: we type an object such as M31, click Search, and AstroResolver looks up its coordinates online. From there it finds the solution on its own, even when the image scale is unknown and the object is not centered in the frame.
A jpeg of the Pleiades downloaded from the Internet:
(1), solved (3) from nothing but the name “M45” (2). AstroResolver adds a WCS to the image that FindingChart
(4) and other processes can read directly.
Try it for free
AstroResolver is free and fully functional. There is no trial period and nothing expires: every feature, including the distortion model, is available to everyone, forever.
The free version shows a small advertisement banner at the bottom of the interface, usually promoting other Deep Sky Colors tools for PixInsight. The banner is a single clickable image; it never interrupts our work and it makes no attempt to track us, not even if we click on the banner. Registering AstroResolver removes the banner.
Installing it, in three steps
Every PixInsight process made by Deep Sky Colors is installed through DSC Hub (DSC = Deep Sky Colors), our free PixInsight process. One address gets you the hub, and the hub gets you the rest.
1. Add this repository to PixInsight:
Where do I add it?
- Open PixInsight and go to RESOURCES > Updates > Manage Update Repositories.
- Click Add, and enter the address above exactly.
- Click OK to save it, then OK again to close the window.
2. Go to RESOURCES > Updates > Check for Updates. DSC Hub appears already selected, so click Apply and restart when PixInsight asks.
3. Open PROCESS > DeepSkyColors > DSCHub. You are now looking at every process we make, with its version, what it does and what changed in its latest release. Select AstroResolver, click Download and install, and restart. It appears under PROCESS > DeepSkyColors.
DSC Hub is free, it installs only what you select, and it leaves the rest of your PixInsight setup alone.
Prefer to add one repository per process? AstroResolver still has its own: https://repo.deepskycolors.com/AstroResolver/
Note that individual repositories such as this could be discontinued.
Register your copy, use it forever
AstroResolver is free to use for personal use. Individuals can still register their copy, which will remove the ad banner. If you wish to use AstroResolver for commercial, business, or organizational purposes, please contact us to discuss appropriate licensing options.You can install and use your registered copy of AstroResolver on any machine you also have PixInsight installed, regardless of operating system (your registration is valid for any and all offered platforms) or number of installations, and you can use it for as long as you want (lifetime license). Just click on the "Buy AstroResolver" button. You'll be redirected to PayPal.
NOTE: After you make your purchase, you should receive an email from us, usually within 15 minutes. If, after 30 minutes (but not before that) you still haven't received our message, please check your spam folder. If still nothing, contact us.
AstroResolver Full Documentation
AstroResolver's full documentation is accessible from within AstroResolver itself - we just need to click on the Documentation button in AstroResolver. We have also made the same documentation available online, here:
Credits
AstroResolver was developed using the PixInsight Class Library. Any product derived from the PCL, including AstroResolver, must reproduce the following acknowledgment:
This product is based on software from the PixInsight project, developed by Pleiades Astrophoto and its contributors (http://pixinsight.com/).
The above statement refers to our use of the PCL to develop AstroResolver only. AstroResolver is developed independently, without any relation to or specific contributions from Pleiades Astrophoto.