Small, uncomplicated automated telescopes for casual viewing seem to have taken off. Among the most popular are the Seestar, the Dwarf2, and the newer Dwarf3.
The problem is that the included editors are pretty basic, but there's enough data in these little scopes' images to get a better result than the included apps can provide.
That brings us to AstroEdit, an iOS (iPhone or iPad) app that can take your JPEG or TIFF files and, with a variety of editing tools, give you a better image than you thought possible. The app is $2.99, but after an introductory period, it will be $4.99. The author of the app considers the current version an early beta. Users who purchase the beta version or already use the app will receive the full release as a free update at the final release.
Developer Yong Chong Loh in Singapore said, “I’m a software engineer and an avid astronomer. I needed an app like this and realized other people did too, so I got busy.”
It has the essential editing tools, like exposure, saturation, temperature, tint, hue, and curves. Then it gets more sophisticated with wavelet tools for sharpening and some AI-based tools for noise reduction, star size reduction, gradient removal (for when the moon or city lights mess up your background and make it uneven), and satellite trail removal, an increasing problem for long-exposure photography when a satellite intrudes on your image.
The app offers unlimited undo/redos and lets you save the finished image to your Photos app. Of course, from there, you can send and share it with anyone.
The app has a built-in user guide as well.
Using AstroEdit
I gave it a try on some images I grabbed with my Seestar. I started with an image I'd taken of the famous Horsehead Nebula in Orion. The image as captured looked pretty good.
I opened it in AstroEdit and looked at the tools that might be appropriate to use on the image.
I increased saturation slightly, reduced the noise, sharpened slightly with the wavelet tool, and made the stars a bit smaller. I thought the final image looked much better.
To get an image like this on an inexpensive, computer-controlled telescope even five years ago would have been impossible. About 20 years ago, I remember trying to get the same nebula with far more expensive equipment, and the image was not as good as this.
I also took a crack at the Orion Nebula, M42. It's bright and easy to find, and I got a nice image with the Seestar.
But again, with a little editing, I think I got a better image.
It's easy to overprocess these images. I might have been a bit too enthusiastic with some of the tools, but I think most people will like the results. And, as I said, you can undo any edit you don't like and try again.
AstroEdit is not Photoshop or Affinity Photo, which a lot of amateur astronomers use, and certainly not Pixinsight, which is sort of the grand master of astronomy programs. On the other hand, the images you'll get with these small telescopes usually don't need the sophisticated tools people use with more expensive and high-quality gear.
What I Liked
- The app is very reasonably priced.
- I didn't see any bugs, and it was well-behaved.
- The built-in guide is nice, as you'll want to know what the non-obvious tools do.
- AstroEdit will improve almost all the images you throw at it.
What Could Be Better
- The AI tools must be used sparingly, or your image will look unrealistic and could get cartoony.
- It's not a substitute for pro editing tools, but Seestar and Dwarf images usually don't need that level of editing.
AstroEdit is an easy recommendation if you have one of these relatively inexpensive electronic telescopes. It's a small investment, and it should improve your images, making these telescopes even more useful.
Note: The App Store listing may show the app has additional purchases. This is incorrect. The upfront prices get you the full version.
