ASTRONOMY - FREE SOFTWARE

SBIG CCD'S

Homepage and latest software for CCD owners.

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD

OSLT

An optical raytrace program. Can be used to design telescopes or other optical instruments. Limited to 10 surfaces. (6.3MB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD updated Apr 20 '02

WINSPOT

A ray-tracing program for tilted component telescope design. Mirror designs only. Good program for ATM's. (71KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD updated Jul 5 '06

CCD

It will calculate field of view, pixel coverage, effective focal lengths, focal ratio, size of chip, approximate size of object on the chip etc. based on telescope setup, printout observing log etc. CCD cameras, telescopes and camera lens are easily selected from drop down lists which include most of the popular cameras and telescopes. (1.6MB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Apr 12 '00

NEWT

Newt is a newtonian telescope design program. It ray traces the telescope checking for vignetting, optimizes diagonal size, calculates baffle size and position and more. It allows you to easily and quickly change any of the design parameters of the telescope and to see the results. It says shareware but payment is not required. (71KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added May 27 '00

RONCHI FOR WINDOWS

Ronchi for Windows is a simulation program for Amateur Telescope Makers (ATM's.) It simulates the appearance of a mirror while undergoing the Ronchi Test. (289KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Jun 12 '00

ABERRATOR

The Aberrator generates images that show the effects of several types of aberrations (distortions) that influence the quality of a telescopes performance. Images of this type are documented for instance in "Star testing Astronomical telescopes: a manual for optical evaluation and adjustment " by Harold Suiter. (256KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD updated Nov 23 '00

MODAS

Modern Optical Design and Analysis (MODAS) is a program for quickly evaluating performance of optical systems, such as telescopes built by amateur astronomers. Optical data can be imported from and exported to various file formats. Ray traces and other analyses are performed very quickly, and wavefront plots and similar results can be plotted, saved to file, or stored as image bitmaps. A tutorial is included. The freeware version is limited to just four optical surfaces. (4.8MB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD updated Sept 14 '03

FOUCAULT

For each set of measures, it gives the shape of the mirror and the zones to be polished. All the measures are saved and can be seen at any time in a worksheet to find the good way to polish. It can also calculate the parameters of the Couder Screen using several criteria. (527KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD updated May 3 '08

RTGUI

Controls many Celestron and Meade "Goto" telescopes to slew directly to the selected object. (650KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD updated May 3 '08

POLAR FINDER

Creates star charts to help align your telescope to the north celestial pole. (48KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Feb 29 '04

WINLENS

Optical Design Software. (7MB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD updated Jul 9 '05

SCOPE CALCULATOR

Scope Calculator 2 is a tool for making comparisons between eyepieces when used with a given telescope, returning information such as magnification, true field of view, and exit pupil. The magnification is either blue or red, depending on whether it is below or above the likely maximum magnification of the telescope. (833KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Jul 28 '04

SURFACE PROFILER

For Amateur Telescope Makers who grind, polish and figure their own precision optics, and who use the Foucault Knife Edge Test in the process, as a way of gauging the surface's conformity to a desired concave shape - usually a parabaloid or a spheroid. (461KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Jan 29 '05

DIAGONAL CALCULATOR

Calculates proper diagonal size for a telescope. (5.8MB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Feb 20 '05

PREDESIGNER

To assess & illustrate the key paraxial parameters for an imaging system. (3.2MB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Jul 9 '05

ATM FOUCAULT TEST

With the help of the Foucault Knife Edge Test, guages the surface's conformity to a desired concave shape - usually a paraboloid or a spheroid. (471KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Oct 9 '06

TELESCOPE OPTICAL PARAMETERS CALCULATOR

Simple utility to calculate various telescope characteristics. (463KB)

HOMEPAGE | | DOWNLOAD added Jan 8 '07

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