How To View a FIT File

[Juno16]

Granted, have not had a chance to get out with my new camera (ASI 533 mc pro), but while I wait for good weather (might be awhile) I am trying to get familiar with the differences from imaging with a dslr.

Normally, when imaging, I will open the light frames that were Nikon raw files (nef) with Infanview to check out the star shapes. With the 533, images are saved as a fit file. I downloaded fitsliberator and can view my "play" dark files, but they are stretched and look rough. It looks like a light frame of a star field. See below.

Any recommendations for viewing light frames in fit format like I used to do with the nef files to see how the stars are looking?

Thanks!

[SkyHiker]

How about DSS?

[Juno16]

Thanks Henk.

DSS does open the file.

What I would do periodically while imaging and particularly after a focus routine, was to open the raw light frame file (Nikon nef) and zoom in about 100% to check out the star shape. When I opened the dark frame fits file generated by the ASI 533, I saw a “star field”look that kind of startled me. I have a feeling that it is normal, only the fits viewer stretched the image.

If I view the dark frame fit file in the Astrophotography Tool image viewer, it looks normal (black).

I guess that I just need to wait until I can capture some real light frames and see what they look like. Just hard not to”toy”around with this thing while waiting.

[Ed217]

Which capture program are you using? You can generally set the format for saved images.

[Juno16]

Which capture program are you using? You can generally set the format for saved images.

Thanks Ed,

I am using Astrophotography Tool (APT). I don’t see an option in the imaging plan editor to save the file in any type. That option is available in the imaging plan editor when using a dslr.
APT does have an image viewer, but no zoom capability.

I will just wait until I can get outside with it. APT does display the fit image post exposure and has a magnifying tool that I can place over a star to get a better look. I can also look more into FitsLiberator to see if there is a way to turn off the stretch function.

Thanks for responding.

[Ed217]

There are a lot of good capture programs. ASICAP is one simple one from ZWO, which has options. ShartCap is also good as well as Fire capture. You can experiment with all of these in your kitchen usually using either a guide scope or the ASI wide field lens that comes with most. You can akso use your regular scope and focus on a tree a hundred feet away.

[Pikaia]

I use FITS Preview, but it is only available for Apple Macs.

http://www.cloudmakers.eu/fitspreview/

[Ed217]

The regular ZWO ASIStudio has a FITs viewer built in.

[Juno16]

I use FITS Preview, but it is only available for Apple Macs.

http://www.cloudmakers.eu/fitspreview/

I appreciate the info, but I am firmly entrenched in Windows. Thanks a bunch for the input though!

The regular ZWO ASIStudio has a FITs viewer built in.

Good information Ed. I have been using APT for several years and very comfortable with it. When I get a chance to get out, everything might just fall into place well. Just getting a bit stir crazy with all of the tropical weather we are having here on the gulf. It has been a challenging year for lots of folks this year with weather, fires, and Covid!. I'm ready for 2021!

I did look into the ZWO ASIStudio and it looks to be promising. Unfortunately, at this time it doesn't support focusing and plate solving which are big.

Thanks again!

[Star Dad]

I use Nebulosity 99.9% of the time. The GIMP (Graphic Image manipulation Program) can open them and show you each of three separate images that comprise a fit. UFRAW can also view FITs - both GIMP and UFRAW are free. Gimp is analagus to Photoshop in that it can do most of PS, albeit with a different menu system. I've used GIMP for 20 years or so. UFRAW only occasionally. (I'm not a big fan of UFRAW).

[seigell]

Granted, have not had a chance to get out with my new camera (ASI 533 mc pro), but while I wait for good weather (might be awhile) I am trying to get familiar with the differences from imaging with a dslr.
Normally, when imaging, I will open the light frames that were Nikon raw files (nef) with Infanview to check out the star shapes. With the 533, images are saved as a fit file. I downloaded fitsliberator and can view my "play" dark files, but they are stretched and look rough. It looks like a light frame of a star field. See below.
Any recommendations for viewing light frames in fit format like I used to do with the nef files to see how the stars are looking?

Yes, that does look like a Lights Exposure. Was this just you playing around with the ASI533 on your desk?? Did you have the 12V Power Supply connected so that you could power the TEC Cooler?? And have it turned ON in APT or SharpCap or whatever??
Without Cooling, those CMOS Cameras will quickly Heat Up enough to start driving all the Hot Pixels...

Like Henk, I'd suggest you load them up in DSS - and use the Star Corner Tool (the 4-little-squares in Upper-Right of the main window). You have to add the Image Files to a File Group Tab, Highlight(select) a File, then click the Star Corner Tool...

[Juno16]

Granted, have not had a chance to get out with my new camera (ASI 533 mc pro), but while I wait for good weather (might be awhile) I am trying to get familiar with the differences from imaging with a dslr.
Normally, when imaging, I will open the light frames that were Nikon raw files (nef) with Infanview to check out the star shapes. With the 533, images are saved as a fit file. I downloaded fitsliberator and can view my "play" dark files, but they are stretched and look rough. It looks like a light frame of a star field. See below.
Any recommendations for viewing light frames in fit format like I used to do with the nef files to see how the stars are looking?

Yes, that does look like a Lights Exposure. Was this just you playing around with the ASI533 on your desk?? Did you have the 12V Power Supply connected so that you could power the TEC Cooler?? And have it turned ON in APT or SharpCap or whatever??
Without Cooling, those CMOS Cameras will quickly Heat Up enough to start driving all the Hot Pixels...

Like Henk, I'd suggest you load them up in DSS - and use the Star Corner Tool (the 4-little-squares in Upper-Right of the main window). You have to add the Image Files to a File Group Tab, Highlight(select) a File, then click the Star Corner Tool...

The camera was cooled to 0C in APT and it was shot in a room during the day with the blinds closed and cap on the scope. It kind if freaked me out when I saw the image, but I think that FitsLiberator is stretching the file. I did a search on Google saw similar examples.

I loaded the file in the APT image viewer and it looks what I would think a dark would look like (dark). There is a small blip on the left side of of the histogram (just like I saw with the dslr).

This is what the dark file opened up in FitsLiberator looks like.

See where the red line points to the slider. It is pretty much centered on the small peak on the left of the histogram.

If I move the slider to set the white level to about 10k, the file looks normal.

Of course, this is just my guess at understanding it.

Thanks a bunch for the info!