Astro Capture

Plan your astrophotography sessions, optimize exposure configurations, and manage raw astronomical files with high efficiency. Astro Capture provides a specialized companion workspace designed for amateur astrophotographers and deep-sky imagers to map out target windows, calculate signal-to-noise metrics, and prepare datasets for processing.

Core Features & Mechanics:
Atmospheric & Night Planner: Monitor local imaging parameters at a single glance. Review automated sky forecasts tracking current moon phases, illumination percentages, atmospheric transparency levels, and overall nightly imaging suitability.

Target Object Catalog: Search your next target by name or catalog designation. Access popular quick picks like M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), and NGC 7000, while tracking exact rise windows, meridian crossings, and set timelines to capture data at peak altitude.

Exposure & SNR Planner: Optimize your camera sensor's productivity before opening the shutter. Utilize a dynamic slider to input your Target SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and toggle between Broadband and Narrowband imaging modes to structure your sub-exposure duration profile.

Comprehensive Session Log: Keep a chronological ledger of your night runs. Track essential imaging metrics—including selected ISO values, exposure times, sensor operating temperatures, and individual light, dark, bias, or flat frame counts—while evaluating stacking parameters like star FWHM values.

Automated File Import & Sorter: Clean up your storage system seamlessly. Import local sub-exposure data across standard file formats—including FITS, CR2, ARW, and NEF—to automatically sort frames by target object into clean subfolders ready for stacking in tools like DeepSkyStacker or PixInsight.

User Preferences & Reminders:
Custom Time Configurations: Localize your dashboard display values to fit your processing preferences, toggling effortlessly between 24h and 12h AM/PM clock formats.

Session Window Reminders: Activate automated push notifications to receive alerts before an optimal target capture window opens, ensuring you never miss a clear, moonless sky.

Localized Data Cleansing: Maintain a tidy app environment directly inside the settings panel using quick data management triggers to Clear Saved Targets or Clear Session History.