Astrobin Acquisition Data Importer Tool

Important: this app only works as intended when used in a WebKit compatible browser. Please try Chrome, Safari, or Edge. Others might work, but your exported data might have issues.

Note: this app will save your filters and settings, so you don't have to re-enter them every time. If you clear your browser's cache, you might have to enter the details again.
  1. Choose Folder to select your top-level directory of FITS files. The app will scan subfolders recursively. There should only be light frames in this folder and all subfolders, no calibration frames. The app will scan through your FITS files and get the duration of the subs, and will count the total number of subs for you.
  2. Choose how to treat sessions that go past midnight. If your imaging session starts before midnight and ends after midnight, and you'd like to handle this as two days of imaging as displayed on Astrobin, select "Reset session data at midnight". If you'd like to treat imaging sessions that start before midnight and finish after midnight as one session, choose "Treat sessions that go past midnight as one session". This ensures that your imaging dates appear as you intend on Astrobin.
  3. How to determine the date? Acquisition programs store the date in different ways. Some store the date as GMT, some use your local time, others may use the system time (which is sometimes set incorrectly.) Try "Scan FITS Headers" first. If your imaging sessions seem to be off by a day in any direction, try the "Use Date Created" option.
  4. 4. Enter your Binning, Gain, Sensor Temperature (manually or read from FITS headers), Bortle Rating, and fNumber (fNumber is used for camera lenses only).
  5. Enter the number of calibration frames that you used.
  6. The Filter Manager lets you add or remove filters you commonly use. Click "Add Filter" then enter the filter type (for example: L, R, G, B, S, H, O, OSC, or No Filter), add the Astrobin Filter ID number (if applicable), and choose a nickname for the filter. The nickname will be used later, and can be whatever you want it to be (as long as you remember which nickname refers to which filter). If you don't know the Filter ID number for your filter, you can find it in the URL of the equipment page for your filter on Astrobin. For example, the Filter ID for the Antlia 3nm Narrowband H Alpha 2" is 2611, taken from this URL: https://app.astrobin.com/equipment/explorer/filter/2611/antlia-3nm-narrowband-h-alpha-2
  7. Click Generate Import Data. The app reads your FITS headers (or uses your selected method), then prompts you to assign the raw FITS header filter values to one of your defined filter nicknames or “No Filter” or “Not Used.”
  8. When done, click Download. Open the exported file with a text editor, and copy/paste its contents into Astrobin.

Light Frames

i Choose one method: manual Sensor Temperature above or scanning FITS headers.

When checked, the tool will try common setpoint keys (e.g., SET-TEMP, SETPOINT). If none are found (e.g., ASIAIR), it will use the actual sensor temperature (e.g., CCD-TEMP, SENSOR_TEMP) rounded to the nearest degree. Ambient temperature keys (AMBTEMP, AIRTEMP, etc.) are ignored.

Calibration Frames

Filter Manager

Type Filter ID i If you don't know the Filter ID number for your filter, you can find it in the URL of the equipment page for your filter on Astrobin. For example, the Filter ID for the Antlia 3nm Narrowband H Alpha 2" is 2611, taken from this URL: https://app.astrobin.com/equipment/explorer/filter/2611/antlia-3nm-narrowband-h-alpha-2 Nickname Remove

Progress

Logs: