BBC Sky at Night - UK (2021-08)

90 BBC Sky at Night Magazine August 2021

FIRST LIGHT

Our experts review the latest kit

Streamlined stacking

One-shot colour, monochrome RAW and FITS camera

images can be stacked using Affinity Photo.

Calibration frames such as bias, dark, dark flats and

flat frames can be included to help improve the

results. Different stacking methods can be used,

depending on the results you require, or the data you

have. There is also the ability to select different types

of mono or colour Bayer patterns, depending on your

camera. The images we stacked from both one-shot

colour DSLR and monochrome astronomy camera

sub-exposures were superb. These displayed great

contrast and colour, and fine definition once

processed within Affinity’s ‘Photo Persona’.

By adding dark frames, we removed the normal

amp glow visible in the sub-exposures from our

mono camera. A slight niggle is that there is no comet

stacking setting and if this could be included in a

later edition, it would be a most welcome feature.

The ‘Astrophotography Stack Persona’ (below)

opens the door to opening and editing single FITS

files from within the software, which is something

that cannot be done with most other up-to-date

versions of photo-processing software.

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image-processing software

A user-friendly astrophotography program with updated adjustment tools

Serif Affinity Photo

• Price £48.99


• Core program
  Photo editing
  and processing


• Features^
  Astro imaging
  ‘Personas’ (for
  desktop only),
  combining
  RGB images,
  background
  removal tool,
  star alignment
  tool, star
  reduction tool
  and ‘Astro
  photography
  Stacking
  Persona’


• Updates Free,
  until a major
  update is
  released


• System
  Windows 7 SP1,
  8.1 & 10, Apple
  Mac 10.9
  and up and
  iPad iOS 12
  and above


• Requirements
  2GB RAM, 1280
  x 768 display
  or better
  for desktop


• Developer Serif


• Email affinity@
  serif.com


• https://
  affinity.serif.
  com/en-gb/
  photo/

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