VideoStack For Galaxy Manual

Thank you for using VideoStack for Galaxy iOS app. It is an easy way to stack your video frames into a single photo. Stacking is a way to combine the images so that noise is removed in the final image. See below 2 photos of 1 frame vs 40 frames. You can stack 30 minutes exposure or more if you have a goto telescope. On a manual telescope, you can get about a minute of exposure.

Previously, in order to image the galaxy or nebulae, it is quite a long workflow. You have to take a video on your camera, upload to your computer, and use PIPP > Registax/Autostacker > GIMP to crop, stack and process the video frames. Now you can do it on your phone conveniently.

Direction:

1. Use videoCam iOS app to take a short video of the galaxy with your telescope. In the app, adjust the exposure, frame rate and ISO and start to record a video. If you are using a goto/tracking telescope, use the longest exposure e.g. 1 second per frame. If you are using a manual scope, you can try 1.0, 0.5 second or less so that the video look sharp. Save the video to your phone album. Alternatively, you can use phone native camera to record a video. However, it has less control over the video exposure parameter etc. 

2. Trim your video on your phone to about best 3 seconds (For a start.) Use videoStack Galaxy iOS app to open the trimmed video file. It will process all the frames and combine them. Experiment with the brightness slider to get the best result. Save the photo to your phone album. 

3. Use waveletCam iOS app to open the stacked image. Drag the sliders to reveal the detail and structure of the image. Wavelet image processing is a powerful tool that does the magic. 

4. To stop the stacking, tap Open button. It will stop and display stacking up to the current frame. 

Alignment Methods:

1. No alignment. It is used for telescope that has tracking. No alignment is needed in the stacking. 

2. Homographic alignment. It is for used images that has more than 6 stars. It aligns very well for all parts of the image. Use this as most cases. 

3. Three Bright Stars alignment. It is used for images that has more than 3 stars. It is good for monocular scope. 

Video:

1. In the app, there are 2 demonstration video. Tap the Demo in the settings. For M42, choose Homographic alignment because it has more than 9 stars in the image. For M31, choose Three Bright Stars alignment as it has less than 9 stars. 

If you have any problem stacking your video, please do not hesitate to write to me at ustransit74@gmail.com and attached your video (A few seconds will do). 

Tips:

1. To find your target quickly with your telescope, use FinderCam with Plate Solving app at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/findercam-with-plate-solving/id1541018483

2. You can take video in a manual telescope or a goto telescope. For manual telescope, videoStack will analyse the video, track, align and stack the object as it floats across the field. 

3. To bring out the detail and structure of the planet, use waveletCam app at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/waveletcam-image-processing/id1642594450

4. If you want to stack planets, use VideoStack for Planet iOS app at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/videostack-for-planet/id1645890568.

5. You can use an EQ or AZ goto telescope. The app deals with the rotation of the Earth!