Stacking planetary images in AutoStakkert! relies on a technique called Lucky Imaging. By feeding a raw video file (such as SER or AVI) into the software, AutoStakkert! analyzes every single frame, filters out atmospheric blur, and blends the sharpest frames together into one high-resolution, noise-free image.
The workflow to achieve a clean stack involves three main software phases. Phase 1: Open and Analyze Your Video
When you boot up the free software from the AutoStakkert! Official Site, you will see two separate windows: the main control panel and the frame view window.
Load Data: Click 1) Open in the main panel and select your planetary video file. You can also drag and drop the file directly into the frame view window.
Set Image Stabilization: In the “Image Stabilization” panel, select Planet (COG). COG stands for Center of Gravity, which tells the software to lock onto the isolated disk of the planet.
Enable Dynamic Background: Keep this checked so the software can track the planet against a dark sky background.
Quality Estimator: Leave this on the default setting (usually Laplace). For the Noise Robust option, a setting of 2 or 3 works well for most high-speed planetary cameras.
Analyze: Click 2) Analyse. The software will scan through the video frames and rank them sequentially from sharpest to most distorted. Phase 2: Interpret the Quality Graph and Set Stack Options
Once the analysis is complete, a Quality Graph will appear in the main control panel.
The Curve: The grey line shows raw frame quality, and the green line shows sorted frame quality. Look at where the green curve crosses the 50% quality mark.
Frame Percentage to Stack: In the “Frame Percentage to Stack” box, enter the percentage of frames you want to keep. Stacking the best 10% to 35% is usually standard. If atmospheric seeing was poor, keep the number lower to avoid adding blurry data.
Output Format: Choose TIF or FIT. These formats preserve raw, uncompressed data necessary for further editing. Phase 3: Set Alignment Points (AP) and Stack
Before hitting the final button, you must tell the software where to look for fine surface details. Switch your attention over to the frame view window.
Choose AP Size: For smaller planets like Mars, select a larger size like 48 or 104 pixels. For larger planets with intricate cloud bands like Jupiter, smaller points down to 24 or 48 can capture more localized contrast.
Place Points: Click Place AP Grid. The software automatically covers the visible disk of the planet with a grid of red/blue alignment squares. Make sure no alignment boxes bleed out into empty black space; they should safely overlap the planet’s features.
Optional Drizzle: If you imaged under excellent conditions with a small sensor, you can enable Drizzle 1.5x to upscale the image. Otherwise, keep it off to save processing time.
Stack: Go back to the main window and click 3) Stack. AutoStakkert! will align all chosen frames and save the final image into a new folder named after your stacking percentage. Essential Processing Tips
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