Solar processing made easy using the Solar Toolbox Process for Pixinsight

We are pleased to release the Solar Toolbox Process for the Pixinsight Software.

Solar Toolbox Pixinsight Repository Link: (copy address link as shown in video)
For Pixinsight version 1.8.9-2 - build 1597 or higher!

Note: You might run into an issue with installing processes/scripts in the latest versions of Pixinsight where the script or processing icons don’t show up in the menu after installation. To fix this, go to: Resources-Updates-Reset Updates, then restart Pixinsight, then click on "Check for Updates" to install

I love to image the sun and over the past few years I have been working on better ways to help process solar image data using pixelmath, but I wanted to take things a bit further. I reached out to my good friend Mike Cranfield and he helped me put together this script that allows users to process solar image data in real-time. This Process allows you to colorize your monochrome data, gives you the ability to increase contrast and sharpness in ways never been done before, plus we offer a proprietary way to stretch data to help boost faint or hidden prominences while keeping the solar data all in phase. Many thanks to Mike for once again helping me on this project and I also want to thank YOU the viewers and the many people out there who have supported us on our BuyMeACoffee campaign; we could not have done this without you! I hope you enjoy using this Version-1 script and we hope to make things even better in time to come. THANK YOU!!!

Please consider supporting us!!

Solar astronomy Book Link:

Dave's Astrophotography YouTube Channel:

DSO Imager YouTube channel:

Other videos, Processes/Scripts and pixelmath scripts.....

Narrowband Normalization Process:

Star Reduction Script:

Screen Stars Script:

CloseView Script:

Stretching PixelMath:

Narrowband Normalization PixelMath:

Add Ha to an RGB image PixelMath:

Star Reduction PixelMath:

RGB Stars to Narrowband Transfer PixelMath:

Add L to an RGB image PixelMath:

Modified SCNR PixelMath:

Color Mask PixelMath:

[marygarcia]

Excellent tutorial, I updated my Pixinsight version 1.8.9-2 - build 1597 and installed script works GREAT!! I have the Daystar solar scout 60mm and Daystar Quark HA, the Solar Toolbox script covers everything (all in one) very handy !! I'm going back to re-edit my solar images and planets, the results are amazing! Thanks for this video and great work 💯

[gomanastro]

WOW, just loaded this script and started playing with it, just happened to try some solar yesterday. Fantastic! much easier than using Photoshop actually!, it's an all-in-one script! the ability to see it live, and to save the settings as an icon...timesaver!

[hughsie]

I process most of my solar images inverted and leave them greyscale because I could never produce a consistent approach to masking and colourising an in phase image to show the surface and prominences. That said, I also enjoy the dark mood and dramatic appearance they have. Currently we are hounded by clouds so I have used the script on historic data and WOW, what an impact. I sincerely appreciate all the time and effort both Bill and Mike have put into developing this too and look forward to producing more colourised in-phase images. I guess I have joined the ‘orange’ side!

[petesastrophotography]

Excellent work. I have just started solar imaging using a Daystar Quark so this is going to be very useful! Doing solar work in Scotland almost sounds like a bad joke but we do actually get a decent amount of sun and is something to do while waiting for those rare clear nights.

[Spen]

Don’t do solar imaging but still love watching your videos and really appreciate yours and Mike’s efforts and amazing scripts you guys put out to make all of our processing easier and accessible
Top blokes thanks again

[TMihelich]

I have been searching for a way to do solar with Pixinsight. Now this is the ultimate way moving forward. Great work.

[crawfprof]

Thanks very much for this. Solar imaging is a passion of mine, and I have the book you recommend. It's excellent. I have some recent solar images that I can try your new script on. Looking forward to giving it a try!

[CosmicCaptures]

Wow, wow, wow!!!! I am actually speechless. Solar Toolbox is amazing. Before, I used many different tools to get similar results. Now, everything is in one tool. Thank you so much for your hard work. I can't wait to kick off the solar imaging season and put this to use. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[cbynum]

Awesome work! Just processed a full disk image I took last week with my Quark. The ability to process the prominences and the full disk together as well as the 3D effect is fantastic. Cup of coffee is on the way!

[CyrilNoger]

Your process (and all the mathematics behind) is simply mind blowing ! This is really impressive what you do here for the Community. Thanks very much Bill.

[craiglowery]

Thank you Bill. I'm a planetary and lunar imager and now venturing into solar. Your Solar Toolbox will now be my go to post processing tool. I think I will use it on planets and the Moon too and replace the legacy tools like Registax and perhaps Astrosurface. PixInsight is the best software investment I've made in a long time. For my Easter wish list, can you add solar timelapse to you toolbox? You and Mike are taking this hobby to the next level. I mean, we amateurs can start to perhaps make scientific contributions. I need to buy you coffee

[GregMcCall]

Using a Lunt 80mm, My latest method WAS AutoStakkert to get the initial TIFF and then ImPPG (to get prom and inverted surface). I tried the toolkit and I'm very impressed and I think I now like the non inverted images better. Well done (again)

[FenderSchonJPX]

I am ABSOLUTLEY BLOWN AWAY. I can't believe what an amazing toolkit you produced. This makes the process so much simpler. Where it's really going to do miracles is with my time lapse clips of the sun. The process I use in Photoshop to boost the prominences doesn't work with their batch processing method, but this solves all of that. Now I will be able to do the movies with lots of surface detail instead of just prom detail.

Subbed to your channel and bought you 5 coffees. Thanks again, you are an absolute hero!

[Astro_George_]

This. Is. Incredible! So excited to go try this out. ☀️ Thanks so much for your dedication and creating these incredible tools!

[desmcmorrow]

Another game changing tool. Many thanks. Just re-edited a solar image from last year. Your script produced a much better result in less time than traditional methods. Cheers, Des

[terrymartin]

OMG!! That is incredible! You guys have done an amazing piece of work. Can't wait to redo my solar images.

[craiggood]

Great work on the Solar Toolbox. I tried it on just a white light filter shot and it brought out much more detail I didn't even know was there.

[jeffratino]

Thanks so much for this. I finally managed to do a little solar imaging today in preparation for April 8th as we are right in the center of the path. This process made the editing so simple, especially for my first images.

[stuparker]

Wow Bill another hit.My Quark will do well with is.Thanks so much

[ianstephenson]

An excellent tool which I have just used for the first time with very good results - the tutorial video is a must watch so as to realize the full potential of the script.