SkyTools 4 will change the way you do imaging

SkyTools Imaging replaces guesswork with accurate calculations. It can accurately estimate the signal to noise ratio under any conditions, allowing for much higher quality planning. Currently, imagers use experience, rules of thumb and generalizations to decide what to image, when to image, how long to expose in total, and what sub exposure times to use. In the end it is all guesswork. 

How much time is wasted on targets that are beyond the capabilities of the imaging system? Or wasted by imaging the same objects that have already been imaged a million times? Imagine a tool that could search every known object for the ones that are suitable for your imaging system.

New in SkyTools 4.1 - Available Now! 

  • Support for the N.I.N.A. astrophotography suite - from the Scheduler, write your schedule directly to the N.I.N.A. Advanced Sequencer for use at the telescope. N.I.N.A. is a free open-source software that automates nighttime imaging and telescope operation. 

  • Smart Project Builder - will make creating Imaging Projects much more straightforward.

  • Exposure Tables - an analytical tool that calculates the required exposure time to achieve your target SNR for each filter used in your imaging system. It also provides an analysis of SNR loss for different sub exposure duration.

  • Weekly Preview - for a given target object, this tool displays a graphical preview each night for a week.

  • CMOS Gain Selections - support has been added for cameras with variable read modes and gain selections. The optimum combination can be determined automatically without saturation/clipping of the brightest parts of the target object. 

  • Export Schedule to a file - export your SkyTools schedule to a file that can potentially be read into scheduling software

Click for more information

Unique Things SkyTools 4 Imaging Can Do For You

  • Find interesting and unusual objects that are within reach of your telescope & camera 

  • Optimize your images with the optimum filter order and sub exposure times for your current conditions

  • Make the most efficient use of your imaging time

  • Organize your projects, track your goals, and archive your observations

Smart Planning

Imagers have no real way to know how long they need to expose to reach the result that they want, and they basically guess at the conditions needed to obtain the best results for a given filter. SkyTools 4 replaces that guesswork with accurate calculations. 

  • Any filter, any camera, any telescope

  • The most advanced imaging scheduler available, even including professional observatories

  • Advanced Target Selection Tool - only objects that will make good images

  • Interactive composition and mosaic tool 

  • Automatically generates ACP Plans

  • Submits projects directly to ACP Scheduler and calculates the optimum constraints to use

  • Creates plans for iTelescope.net

  • Make observations in Real Time via direct telescope control

  • Automatically keeps track of your progress for each mosaic tile and filter in your project

  • Graphically plan mosaics for large objects

  • Image preview, exposure calculator, plot your images in the chart background

  • Custom obstructed horizon used in all calculations

  • Full-function charts, extensive highly-corrected databases

SkyTools Imaging connects a new and highly accurate imaging model to the most highly-corrected and complete astronomical databases available, via an innovative user interface. It can be used to pick suitable target objects, predict how many exposures will be required to obtain the desired result, keep track of each project’s progress, and guide observations so that SNR is always maximized.

SkyTools 4 Imaging and iTelescope.net make for a powerful combination. Click to find out more.

The developer of SkyTools, Greg Crinklaw, was recently a guest at The Astro Imaging Channel, where he talked about the science behind SkyTools Imaging.