Image Processing Resources for Astronomy Teaching
(http://www.phy.duke.edu/~kolena/imagepro.html)

last revised:  November 1, 2020

maintained by John Kolena (NCSSM & Duke University)
send suggestions, comments,
new items to add, etc.  to   kolena@gmail.com

              
                    how to access images from major satellites and observatories
                     a relatively non-technical intro to common non-FITS image formats
                     the technical guide to FITS image formats;  also gsfc FITS links


contents of this page

1) astronomy image processing software

2) web browser and applet FITS viewers

3) remote access telescopes

4) astronomy image processing curriculum activities

5) citizen science projects

6) coming sometime: astronomy java applets

  
image processing astronomy software for pc/mac

based on my experience, recommendations for intro astronomy  

         courses (based on ease of use and flexibility)
are tagged          
  
software
operating system

hardware
availability 
&
cost
image formats
supported

audience
(or software description)
e-mail contact
(or user guide)

primarily for educators and student learners



primarily for amateur astronomers and CCD image enthusiasts


AIP Windows 98SE or later
$99.95 (includes 684-pp book:
Handbook of Astronomical Image Processing and

600 MB archive of CCD images

software now in version 2.0
($99.95 for new users; $59.95 for an upgrade for users who own 1.0)
FITS
"Amateur Astronomers, Professional Astronomers,   College students, Engineering students, High School science teachers,  Astronomy lab teachers"
Astromagic
Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8
free;
donation encouraged
FITS (8, 16, 32)

professional astrometric measurements
info@astromagic.it
Astrometrica
Windows Vista/7/8/8,1//10
25 Euro/license
(free 100-day trial)
FITS (8, 16, 32), SBIG

professional astrometric measurements

AstroArt Windows XP through Windows 10
129 Euro for version 5
(upgrade from version 4.0: 89 euro)
FITS (8, 16), TIFF, JPEG
and others

"A complete software for image processing, photometry, astrometry, camera control and image stacking for digital and film images." astroart@msbsoftware.it
AVIS Windows XP through Windows 10 freeware version
of AstroArt software above
FITS (8, 16) &
CCD SBIG files


msbsoftware@tin.it
 

ds9
Windows7/8/10

MacOSX 10.9-10.12
 
LINUX CentOS 6/7
LINUX Ubuntu 14/16

 

free

new to ds9?
check the FAQ
FITS
educators,  astronomers

The Chandra X-ray Observatory Education site provides a connection between  DS9 software, Chandra data sets, and analysis tools that can be used to analyze Chandra data.  You can download DS9 for use interactively with Chandra data or for general use with any FITS data from any source.

cxcedu@cfa.harvard.edu

FITS Liberator
version 3 for
Windows

(minimum: XP, Vista or Windows 7,
all 32 or 64 bit)
Mac OS X-
10.5+


free

FITS,
PDS


"to create colour images using raw observations from a range of telescopes, including the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, ESO’s Very Large Telescope and ESA’s XMM-Newton Telescope"

user guide
FITSview Windows 
3.1/95/98/ME/XP/Vista
Mac; Unix/Linux
free FITS

bcotton@nrao.edu

FITS Preview


Mac OS
X 10.8 or later,
64-bit processor


$4.99 available from the Mac App store

FITS



see also
Cloudmakers xINDI Project


FITS4Win2


32 and 64-bit
Windows Vista/7/8/10



AUD$75


"Displays FITS images wherever image previews or thumbnails are shown and allows full-sized images to be loaded into most of the latest Windows applications that handle images. Like Windows Explorer, File Dialog boxes, Windows Photo Viewer, Movie Maker and Microsoft Office components like Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc."

FITSPlug v2
Windows Photoshop
plugin for v3 through v14

AUD$50



"load, save, and  export 8-, 16-, and 32-bit mono
and 3-plane colour FITS images"


fv 5.4
Mac OS-X,
most Windows
and UNIX platforms

free FITS file editor

"graphical program for viewing and editing
FITS format images or tables"
ftoolshelp
@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov

iCCD

Mac

free
FITS, TIFF, JPG,
PICT, BMP. PDF


"controls the Starlight Express cameras and
opens FITS files on the macintosh"

terryj@iit.edu

ImageTOOLSca

Windows

free
FITS, JPG,
TIFF, BMP,
and camera formats


"A lightweight image viewer for FITS and other formats"

IRAF PC 486 or better
running LINUX
free download

$50 on CD

FITS
astronomers iraf@noao.edu
Iris 5.59
Windows 95/98/NT free FITS, PIC, BMP












js9


web version
(easiest access)


free






FITS
(although it can also load, but not fully analyze,
JPG and PNG images)



educators, students

This is a web version of the stand-alone app ds9
 
You can drag-and-drop FITS images
(from an external web site or a local directory)
directly onto the image display for analysis

some sample FITS image archives






Eric Mandel




to install/run on
local hard drive






free


need WinZip or equivalent
to unzip tgz file



You can also install js9
to analyze data locally

go to the 'To install or not to install' section

additional installation help at
install help
general help




 

Makali'i (Subaru)


version 2.0 for
Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10



free





FITS




educators, amateur astronomy research



user manual
Maxim
(DL 5.0)
Windows
$599 MaxIm DL

FITS, TIFF, 
JPG, BMP

"the perfect tool for amateur  and professional astronomers"

primary (?) use is for observatory/camera control
sales
@cyanogen.com

MicroObservatory
Image 2.3
Windows
Mac OS X
Linux


free

FITS, GIF


students and educators

users manual
MIRA

Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10
 (32 and 64 bit),

or 100% compatible Windows
environment on Linux or Mac.
public prices

government prices

academic price info

FITS, TIFF,
JPEG, BMP, ...
 
8 to 64 bit,
including 24 bit color..



advanced amateurs and professionals

"Mira AL allows amateur astronomers, educators, and students
to do real science on a tight budget."

Mira Pro is a "powerful, general-use tool for astronomical research, including areas such as variable star research, exoplanet search,
millimag level photometry, supernova patrol, minor planet detection & rotation studies, and data mining"


info@ametrics.com

MIRA Pro Users Guide

QFitsView

Windows
Mac OS X
Linux

free

FITS



Thomas Ott
Remote Astronomy
Software

[combines CCDSoft 5.0
(CCD controller & image processor) 
& TheSky
(planetarium 
program)]

Windows various
various, depending
on version/level
FITS, TIFF,
JPEG, BMP,
and others

educators
amateur astronomers
support@bisque.com

 


Salsa J
(subset of ImageJ)


Windows
Mac OS-X
Linux


free


FITS



students & educators
multi-language (8 European)


Siril
Windows,
Mac OS-X,
LINUX and more


now in nearly complete beta testing

primarily
16-bit FITS


primarily for amateur astronomers and CCD image enthuaiasts


Cyril Richard
news
wiki
documentation

image
processors
that read
FITS images,
but with no
astronomy
orientation




Image J

TRIA

VIPS

software
no  longer
available


HOU (Hands On Universe), Image-32, Quantum Image, Scion Image;

also, JPEG Viewer and NIH Image
have been removed from this list because they do not read FITS images



web & applet astronomical image viewers


program


type of application

statement of purpose

cost

contact

Aladin Sky Atlas

Java Standalone application   
Java web applet


"allows the user to visualize digitized astronomical images,

superimpose entries from astronomical catalogues or databases,
and interactively access related data and information from the Simbad database, the VizieR service, ..."


free


user guide

jFITS

Java applet

"
a Java Swing based application and applet for quickly viewing
and performing simple operations on astronomical FITS formatted CCD imaging data."


free




Recmmonded

js9

see details above




easy-to-use web
version of a

stand alone app




Sky Image Processor (SIP)

Java applet

"to learn
how to accomplish the three major tasks of astronomical imaging:
image processing and analysis, photometry, astrometry"


free

jsimonetti@vt.edu






 

remote access telescope projects (open to public)
(updated 10/10/2020)


program
image format 
open to image requests? 
image archive open?
statement of purpose
e-mail contact







Faulkes Telescope Project

global network of 8 telescopes

yes,
with teacher registration

yes, with registration by
astronomical societies $
science centers




click here


GLoRIA project




not clear if this project
is currently operational


ITelescope.net


FITS?

yes, but requires membership
(starting at $19.95
per 28 days)


requires membership

(it appears that you can
access only your
images even with membership)


membership includes
 tutorials for telescope
 operation and image processing

support@itelescope.net
MicroObservatory
several 6-inch telescopes in MA and AZ
FITS, 
GIF
yes, with enrollment yes click here rgould
@cfa.harvard.edu
(Roy Gould)
Open Science Observatories
collection of telescopes in Canary Islands
FITS yes yes
with registration

raap
@rot.physics.ucsb.edu
(Tom Fuller, Coordinator) 

SkyNet (UNC)
10+ observatories worldwide

yes, 30 min observing time,
with registration in
Skynet University course
or with students associated
with donor institutions



click here

contact

for Skynet University
SLOOH
10 telescopes in Chile & Canary Islands

yes, with non-free membership
yes, with free registration
click here
contact
Telescopes in Education (TIE)
1
telescope at Norrick Peak, AZ

access to program participants 
K-12
some GIF samples click here mcragg@earthlink.net



astronomy image processing curriculum activities

***  =  especially recommended

curriculum Program
image format supported
number of activities
availability
 
Astroart FITS 3 free 3 tutorial activities
Astronomy Village TIFF

astrov@cet.edu
Automated Telescope Facility (ATF)
University of Iowa
FITS, GIF 10 free download
Eu-Hou ***
FITS more than 20 free

Faulkes Telescope ***
FITS more than 20 free

Hands On Universe ***
FITS more than 20 free

Hubble Space Telescope FITS archive

getting started with Hubble image processing
MicroObservatory



Study of Exoplanets
Remote Access Astronomy Project (RAAP)
UC-Santa Barbara

no longer active, but a published book exists
FITS 13 free download raap
@rot.physics.ucsb.edu
(Tom Fuller, 
Coordinator)

Skyserver at SDSS



8 projects for grade school and middle school students
8 projects for middle school & high school students
8 projects for advanced high school & college students
1 long-term research project on H II regions
Telescopes in Education (TIE)
Mt. Wilson Observatory

12 free download



active astronomy citizen science projects
(last updated April 2019)


project name


sponsor institution

start year

subfield

description






Staradust@Home

UC-Berkeley

2006

interplanetary/stellar
Search for interplanetary/interstellar dust
impacts with the aerogel on
Stardust spacecraft
Target Asteroids
&
Target NEOs

Astronomical League,
LPL, U Arizona

2012

solar system
amateur astronomers take images
of asteroids using their own telescopes & CCD cameras,
perform image analysis to obtain
astrometric and photometric data

Galaxy Zoo


Zooinverse

2007

extraglactic
Classify galaxy images
using data from Hubble Space Telescope,
SDSS, and UKIRT

Moon Zoo

Zoooinverse

2009;
now finished

lunar
Classify lunar images

using Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter data

Solar Storm Watch


Zooinverse
2009;
now finished;
see II below

solar
Spot and track surface explosions
on the sun using data from
the STEREO spacecraft

Planet Hunters


Zooinverse

2010

exoplanets
Identify extrasolar planets from variations in
the light curves
of stars using data from
the
Kepler space telescope

Disk Detective

Zooinverse

2010

exoplanet systems
Find the birthplace of planets by
searching for star systems with dusty disks
using data from the WISE mission

SetiLive   now defunct?


Zooinverse

2013

exoplanets
Search for interesting radio signals
coming from objects with the Kepler satellite field
using data from the Allen Telescope Srray

Space Warps

Zooinverse

2013

extragalactic
Find distribution of dark matter in the universe
by measuring the effects of foreground
gravitational lenses on the images of background galaxies

Radio Galaxy Zoo

Zooinverse

2013

extragalactic
help discover supermassive black holes

using NRAO and CSIRO radio data

Planet Four

Zooinverse

2013

Mars
Find and mark ‘fans’ and ‘blotches’ on the Martian surface
(which should indicate wind direction and speed)
using data from Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter

Milky Way

Zooinverse

9/15/16

Milky Way galaxy
Map the Milky Way by searching
for star clusters and interstellar bubbles
on Spitzer images

Gravity Spy

Zooinverse

10/12/16

gravitational waves
Help LIGO search for gravitational waves
by classifying instrumental and environmental
sources of noise

Backyard Worlds: Planet 9


Zooinverse

2/15/17

Planet 9, brown dwarfs
Search for Planet 9 and brown dwarfs
beyond Neptune by distinguishing (by eye)
between moving celestial objects and ghost images
Galaxy zoo: 3D
Zooinverse
3/8/3017
3-D structure of galaxies
Mark spiral arms, bars, centers of galaxies
and foreground stars
Exoplanet Explorers

Zooinverse
4/4/2017
exoplanets
Search for transiting exoplanets in Kepler K2 data

Solar Storm Watch II


Zooinverse


9/30/2017

solar storms
track solar storms by drawing detailed images of outer parts
of solar storms from wide-field camera images


Supernovae Hunters


Zooinverse


supernovae

discover supernovae from PAN-STARRS1 data

Planet Hunters TESS


Zooinverse

2018

exoplanets

help detects planets around nearby stars
using TESS data


Local Group Cluster Search

Zooinverse


2018

star clusters
find clusters in Local Group galaxies,
in particular M22, LMC, and SMC
Astroquest

a consortium of
Australian universities
3/22/2019
galaxies
measure how galaxies evolve and grow

Loss of the Night   
download Android app

Dark Sky Meter   
download the
Iphone app for $1.99




2006


sky

Measure star visibility and light pollution in your location
and contribute to worldwide database

einstein@home



2017

gravitational waves
search for gravitational waves from
 neutron stars and black holes

blackholes@home


West Virginia University

2019

black-hole & neutron-star
 binary simulations
reduce the cost of numerical relativity black hole
and neutron star binary simulations by ~100x

spiral graph



Zooinverse


2019
 
spiral galaxies; intermediate-mass
supermassive black holes


search for intermediate-mass
supermassive black holes
by measuring spiral-arm windings

AI 4 Mars


Zooinverse


2019


Mars rovers


teach Mars rovers how to classify Martian terrain

SuperWASP variable stars



Zooinverse

2019

variable stars

search for the most unusual variable stars

Planet Patrol


NASA/SETI

9/30/2020

exoplanets

search for exoplanets from TESS observations,
by narrowing down the list of potential candidates



maintained by John Kolena (NCSSM & Duke University)
send suggestions, comments,
new items to add, etc.  to   kolena@gmail.com