QHYCCD QHY8L User Manual

Page 12

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below). Separate color layers (R,G,B) can also be created as separate FITS files

using the File, Save Color Components command.

In AstroArt, load FITS image from camera, select “Color” from top menu, then

“CCD color synthesis”. Make sure XY Offset values are both set to 0. Then click
OK. Color image will appear. AstroArt does a nice job of balancing the color, as

well. To save the separate color components, select “Color” from top menu,

then “Split RGB”. Three images will appear which can be saved as FITS files.

Photoshop cannot natively read FITS files. To enable Photoshop to read FITS

files it is necessary to load a package from NASA/ESA, the FITS Liberator,

available at

http://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/fits_liberator/download_v301/

. The

package will automatically be loaded into the Photoshop directory. Be aware

that this is a 32-bit package, so to use it you must use the 32-bit version of
Photoshop. If you purchased the 64-bit version, you should also have the 32-bit

version installed. Look for the Adobe directory under “Program Files (x86)”.

That is where the 32 bit version is installed, and where the FITS Liberator files
are installed. At present this program does not separate the color layers in the

files generated by the QHY8L. These layers must be separated by another

program such as Nebulosity or MaximDL. The advantage of FITS Liberator is the
variety of stretch algorithms that it has.

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