What is Planet Stacker X?
Planet Stacker X is a macOS app built for capturing detailed images of planets and their surfaces using a technique called Lucky Imaging. Instead of a single long exposure, you record a short video of your target with a high-speed camera and telescope. Planet Stacker X then:
- Selects only the sharpest frames from your video
- “Stacks” them together to boost detail and reduce noise
- Lets you fine-tune the final image with tools designed specifically for planetary photography
What's the story behind Planet Stacker X?
As an amateur astrophotographer I was getting pretty frustrated with the lack of good solutions to stack planetary video data on my M1 MacBook Pro without resorting to Windows emulation or virtualization.
One cloudy, rainy night I decided to write a small script to stack my planetary data instead. The clouds and rain never really cleared up... and that little script eventually grew into the full-featured Planet Stacker X you see today.
Is the app available for Windows or Linux?
Not at the moment. Planet Stacker X depends on macOS-only frameworks and SDKs, and I don’t have the skill or the bandwidth to port it to other operating systems right now. If that changes, you’ll hear about it.
Can I use this app for deep sky or landscape astrophotography?
Planet Stacker X’s algorithms are optimized for bright, small targets like planets. They won’t give you the same results on wide-field deep-sky or landscape shots—but feel free to experiment and let me know how it goes!
Does it support multiple alignment points?
Planet Stacker X currently uses wavelet frequency analysis on the entire frame to determine frame quality. Unfortunately this algorithm doesn't lend itself weld to multiple alignment points. In my own tests, this metric usually produces the best planetary detail, but I’m working on alternative quality measures that will let you pick multiple reference areas in future updates.
Can I contribute or donate?
I’m not accepting direct donations or code contributions at this time. If you’d like to support the community, consider donating to the Seattle Astronomical Society or shopping from the excellent folks at Cloud Break Optics. Your enthusiasm and feedback mean the world!