Frequently Asked Questions

To use SLS the camera must be motionless relative to the foreground. This means the camera is rigidly mounted on a tripod. Typically a wide angle lens is used (often an ultra wide—14mm or wider). Typically 20 to 50 images will be stacked.

To use SSS an equatorial mount that tracks the movement of the sky must be used. Typically a medium telephoto lens or longer (e.g., a telescope) will be used. Typically somewhere between 200 and 1000 images will be stacked.

To meet the needs of the different uses the programs are very different internally.

Exception: Pentax K1 with the AstroTracer feature. Using this feature, each shot is tracked, but there is no tracking shot to shot. It is really in a place between SLS and SSS. SLS works for images captured with AstroTracer. SSS does not work for images captured with AstroTracer due to the lack of tracking between shots.

Install on a second computer, or re-install

All of my apps are sold through the Mac App Store which has rules that are very friendly to customers. Here is how to install one of my apps (or any other app you bought from the Mac App Store) on another computer. This also works if you have to reinstall.

Launch the Mac App Store on the computer you want to install the app on.

Click on the "Purchased" item. For Mac OS 10.13 (High Sierra) and older, this is at the top, near the middle of the App Store window. For Mac OS 10.14 (Mojave) and newer, this is in the side bar on the left of the window.

You will be shown a list of all the apps you have purchased. Click the "install" button for any apps you have purchased and want to install.

Support for other Platforms

Is there a version for Microsoft Windows?

Unfortunately I do not have the time nor the money to develop versions of my programs for Windows. There is a free app, Sequator, for Windows that has similar capabilities to Starry Landscape Stacker. Deep Sky Stacker is an alternative to Starry Sky Stacker that runs on Windows.

Is there a version for Linux?

I know of no alternatives to my apps that run on Linux, and I do not have time to develop versions of my apps for Linux.

Is there a version for iPad?

Not yet, but I am working on a plan.

Input Formats

Do your apps support RAW files as input?

No. Developing and maintaining a RAW converter is a lot of work, and most users already have a good RAW converter as part of some photo processing app they already own. Given these two facts, I think it is best for me to spend my time working on functionality that users do not already own and cannot currently buy from another source.

Do your apps support FITS files as input?

This is particularly relevant to Starry Sky Stacker. FITS is a flexible specification (the "F" stands for "Flexible"), and as a consequence, it seems that every vendor implements FITS differently. Supporting every variation of FITS currently in use is well beyond what I have time for. I have been told by users of Starry Sky Stacker that there are apps that can convert FITS to TIFF.