Astrophotography Software
DeepSkyStacker - Freeware
DeepSkyStacker is a freeware for astrophotographers that simplifies all the pre-processing steps of deep sky pictures - registering, stacking, simple post-stacking processes to quickly view the final result, saving the resulting image to a TIFF or FITS file (16 or 32 bit).
DSRL Focus - $15
DSLR Focus takes a series of exposures as fast as the camera will allow either automatically or at your command. The results are downloaded from the camera and displayed on the screen instantly. You then scroll around the image and find a suitable star to use as your focus star. Place the crosshairs on the star and click the mouse to select it. At this point, a focus analysis window will perform analysis on the selected star. As you adjust the telescope focus and take a new image, the analysis window quickly shows you if your focus is getting better or worse.
K3CCD - $49 with evaluation period
K3CCDTools is a Windows application dedicated to astro-imaging. It includes video-capture (supporting a wide range of video capture devices), auto-guiding, and frame aligning and stacking/summing. It also provides simple image post-processing.
Neat Image - Free edition available
Neat Image is an image filter that reduces noise and grain in photographic images produced by digital cameras and scanners. Neat Image is indispensable in low-light (indoors, night, no-flash, astro) and high-speed (sport, action, children) photography.
Nebulosity - $95
Nebulosity (Windows and OS X) is designed to be a powerful, but simple-to-use capture and processing application for a wide range of astronomy CCD cameras.
PHD Guiding - Freeware
PHD Guiding is designed to be "Push Here Dummy" simple, yet provide powerful, intelligent auto-guiding of your telescope for both PCs and Macs. Connect your mount, your camera, select a star, and start guiding.
PixInsight - 230 euros with trial period
PixInsight is an advanced, modular image-processing software platform designed specifically for the demanding requirements of astrophotography and other technical imaging fields.
WCS - Free
This program helps you to polar align your mount using the drift alignment method with CCD or webcam support. It supports any cam that can be installed as a Windows device (Meade LPI, ToUcam, NexImage, etc). There's also a version available for the Meade DSI cameras. The error in polar azimuth and polar elevation can be adjusted very quickly, even if Polaris is not visible (e.g. obstructing trees, buildings, or if observing in the southern hemisphere). The idea is to measure the star drift of an inaccurately aligned mount using a webcam and to calculate the amount of polar axis misalignment. After that, it assists you in achieving near-perfect mount alignment using the webcam display. With WCS, the effort needed for alignment is reduced to a minimum, and you have more time for observing and imaging.
Registax - Free
Image processing software.
Camera Control and Image Processing
Diffraction Limited sells award-winning imaging systems for astronomers.