2026-10-09 APP 2.0.0-beta48 has been released !
This is mainly a bug fix release for the reported bugs in beta47. In addition it has a significant User Interface performance improvement noticable when you need to process 1000s of images in APP.
2026-10-03 APP 2.0.0-beta47 has been released !
This is a very big release... many code optimizations/rewrites, many parts of APP are much faster and more precise, especially star analysis and registration are much faster ! Big mosaics will go much faster 🙂
And we introduce a new preview filter, which includes the new Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch and a General Levels Stretch, this has been long over due. The old preview filter (the panel on the right side to stretch and preview your data) has not been updated for a couple of years and it is a critical part of any APP session.
Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch or ADSS is a much more intuitive stretch algorithm. It is also color preserving (which is a great new addition in itself ! ) which means that the highlights are no longer bleached, color is maintained from the linear data while stretching. You can simply stretch your data using the sky background level and signal width sliders which work much easier and more intuitive. You no longer need to fiddle with the old complicated sliders with zoom buttons. All the zoom buttons for the sliders are made redundant. And you can enter slider values in the slider value fields yourself. I will make a youtube video in the coming days to explain and fully introduce ADSS. Once the video is ready, it will be highlighted on the forum.
RGB Combine upgrade !. The RGB Combine Tool has been rewritten mostly. The tool is faster and easier to use and most importantly, the Luminance slider to inject a luminance channel or channels into the RGB composite is now working correctly. It no longer bleaches the RGB colors. Combined with the new ADSS preview, you will get much better and easier great composites with great color! I will also explain this in a new youtube video.
(Note: I am very pleased with APP’s ability to combine data from two different setups, including the LNC and banding adjustments in the Integrate module. Very powerful and useful functionality!)
Fleming’s Triangle is part of the Cygnus Loop in the Cygnus Constellation, also known as the Veil Nebula, a shock wave produced by a supernova that was first visible on earth about 5000 years ago. The triangle was discovered by Williamina Fleming in 1904 on a photographic plate at the Harvard College Observatory, so it is rightly known as Fleming’s Triangle. It was common for such discoveries to be named after the head of an observatory, so it is traditionally known as Pickering’s Triangle, after the head of the observatory. The August 2023 Sky & Telescope has an interesting article about Williamina Fleming’s work. Happy to see this accomplished woman finally being recognized for all her contributions!
As one of my favorite targets I find myself returning to this target every summer. The red filaments are from ionized hydrogen while the blue filaments are from ionized oxygen.
The image combines 11 hours of 5 minute exposures with an 8” Meade LX200 ACF telescope, ANTILA ALP-T Dual Narrowband filter from July 2022 and June 2023, using two different cooled cameras, the ASI2600MC and the ASI294MC-PRO. Other equipment used included the ASAIR Plus, ASI174mm-mini for guiding with ASI OAG, CEM40 mount. Processed and combined using APP and PS.
That's awesome and indeed a thing I like about APP as well. 🙂
