AstroEditor AI v2: Everything New (And How to Use It)

You’ve spent eight hours under the stars. Your Seestar has been faithfully collecting photons from the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula all night. You stack the data, open the file and… it’s green. It’s noisy. The detail is in there somewhere, but it’s buried under a colour cast and a layer of grain.

That’s exactly the problem AstroEditor AI was built to solve. And with AstroEditor AI v2, it’s better at solving it than ever.

We’ve rebuilt every editing model from the ground up, added new colour palettes, and given Pro users far more control over how their final image looks. Here’s everything that’s new, and how to get the most out of it.

 

What’s New in v2 at a Glance

For everyone:

  • Rebuilt v2 editing models. Three Standard and three Smart Telescope models, all improved on v1.
  • Improved Auto Crop. Better at removing the messy stacking edges that throw off an edit.
  • Info pop-ups. Hover over the “i” icon next to any setting to see what it does.
  • Settings in your results email. Your edited image arrives with a list of the options you chose, so you can repeat the ones you love.

For AstroEditor AI Pro members:

  • Five colour palettes, including the brand-new Foraxx HOO and Foraxx SHO
  • Colour Boost to target reds, blues, yellows or everything
  • Adjustable Star Reduction, from none to high
  • Output Curve Stretch for that final contrast polish
  • Stars-only files to go with your starless images, so you can edit and recombine them yourself

New to AstroEditor AI? Our original introduction post covers the basics. Otherwise, read on.

 

Getting Started: Still Easier Than Ordering Coffee

AstroEditor AI runs entirely from your web browser, and all the processing happens on our servers. There’s nothing to install, and it works on any device with a browser: Laptop, iPhone, iPad or Android. As long as your image file is on that device, you’re good to go.

  1. Head to astroedit.co.uk/astroeditor.
  2. If you don’t have an account yet, click register to create one. It’s completely free. If you already have one, click log in (or use My Account in the top corner), then come back to the editor page.
  3. Click Browse files and choose your image. You can upload TIFF, FIT or FITS files.
  4. Pick your editing model (more on choosing one below).
  5. Enter your email address.
  6. Click Edit My Image and watch the progress bar fill up.
  7. Look out for our confirmation email. It means we’ve received your image, and your edit will follow shortly, usually within 5 to 30 minutes.

That’s it. With the free version, the only real decision you make is which model to use.

 

Choosing Your Model: Standard vs Smart Telescope

In v2, every model comes in two versions:

  • Smart Telescope models are trained specifically on images from smart telescopes such as the Seestar S30, S50 and S30 Pro, and the Dwarf 2 and Dwarf 3. They handle these images slightly differently, and we’ve found they give noticeably better results.
  • Standard models are for more traditional setups: a telescope with a dedicated astro camera, or a DSLR with a camera lens.

Each version then has three strengths:

  • Subtle gives a gentle edit that lifts detail and colour while keeping a darker, more natural look.
  • Balanced sits in the middle and makes a great all-rounder.
  • Intense pushes the image hard for maximum impact.

Why three? Because not every image can be pushed the same amount. If your data is noisy (usually from limited integration time), stretching it hard will stretch the noise too. For those images, Subtle or Balanced will serve you better.

Our tip: always start with Balanced. If it looks like the image could take more, try Intense. If it’s already a bit much, dial it back with Subtle.

 

v2 in Action: The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula on a Seestar S30

For the video, we ran an 8-hour Seestar S30 stack of the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula through the Smart Telescope models. The raw image had plenty of detail but also lots of noise and a strong green colour cast.

 

 

  • Smart Telescope Subtle lifted the detail and colours slightly while keeping the image dark and understated. That’s ideal for noisier data.
  • Smart Telescope Intense removed the green cast completely. It pulled out the reddish-orange detail in the trunk, boosted the contrast so the dark dust lanes stand out against the nebulosity, and tightened, reduced and sharpened the stars.

Want finer control than three presets? That’s where Pro comes in.

 

AstroEditor AI Pro v2: Every Setting Explained

Pro gives you a similar-looking form with a lot more options. Every setting has its own info pop-up, so you’re never guessing. Here’s what each one does.

 

Editing Model: Choose Standard or Smart Telescope to match how you captured the image.

 

Contrast: Low, Medium or High. This darkens the darker areas, brightens the brighter areas and increases overall contrast. (We like a contrasty image, so Medium is our go-to.)

 

Cropping: A good crop matters a lot. Black or noisy stacking edges, especially on mosaics, can throw the whole edit off balance. Your options:

  • Auto: now improved in v2
  • No Cropping: leaves the image exactly as you uploaded it
  • Small (5%), Medium (10%) and Large (20%): a simple fallback if Auto doesn’t suit your image

Our tip: if you can crop the image yourself before uploading, do it, then choose No Cropping.

 

Stretch Intensity: Set anywhere from 10% to 100%. We usually start at 50–60%. Too bright? Drop it to 40–50%. Need more detail? Try 70%, 80% or even 100%.

 

Saturation Boost: An overall lift to the saturation of the whole image. Use it carefully, because it’s easy to overdo. The Colour Boost setting (below) gives you more precise control.

 

Output Curve Stretch (new): When editing by hand, most of us finish with one last curve stretch that deepens the darks and gives the nebulosity a final lift. This setting does exactly that as the very last step before your image is sent. Choose None, Low, Medium or High.

 

Star Reduction (now adjustable): In v1, star reduction was applied the same way to every image. Now you choose: None, Low (subtle), Medium (a visible but balanced reduction) or High (stars shrunk as small as possible).

 

Starless Image: Choose whether to keep the stars or remove them completely.

 

Colour Palette (the biggest upgrade in v2):

  • Normal: the classic RGB look you’ll see in most astrophotos online
  • Black & White: a striking monochrome finish
  • Standard HOO: shifts your image towards the classic blue and gold HOO look
  • Foraxx HOO and Foraxx SHO: based on the Foraxx method, which blends the channels dynamically rather than in fixed amounts. That brings out different colours depending on the nebulosity in your image.

The same palette can look very different from one target to the next, so we recommend trying them all.

 

Colour Boost (new): Target a specific colour and increase its brightness and saturation so it stands out. Choose Reds, Blues, Yellows or All, then pick how strong the boost is.

 

Editable File: The default is None (JPEG only). If you like to finish images in your own software, you can also get a FITS or TIFF file.

 

Stars File (new, starless images only): If you remove the stars, you can also get a FITS or TIFF of just the stars. Edit the starless image however you like, then recombine it with the stars afterwards.

 

Then add your email, click Edit My Image, and your edit is on its way.

 

Pro in Action: The Heart Nebula

To put Pro through its paces, we used a Heart Nebula image with just over an hour of integration. It was still fairly noisy, and a camera issue had left the corner stars slightly out of focus.

 

 

  • Normal palette, low red boost, medium star reduction: a lovely natural result. The nebulosity is brought out, the contrast is lifted and the stars are tamed. The soft corner stars were noticeably improved too. They’re still slightly oblong, but much better than before. AstroEditor AI can correct some minor star aberrations as well as tidying up normal stars.
  • Foraxx SHO, starless: this gives a lighter pinkish-orange tone compared with the deeper reds of the Normal palette on hydrogen-alpha targets. It’s a completely different look from the same data.

 

  • Standard HOO with blue boost, starless: a yellow-toned image with the blues in the core accentuated, plus sharper detail and added contrast in the darker regions.
  • Black & White with high star reduction (Elephant’s Trunk): the stars are much smaller, and the monochrome finish really shows off the contrast between the dark dust lanes and the brighter nebulosity.

A quick note on noise: with only an hour of data, the Heart Nebula background is still a little noisy. AstroEditor AI does apply some denoising, but the best way to get a cleaner image is always more signal, which means more integration time.

 

 

Unlimited Edits Mean Unlimited Versions of Your Image

Here’s the best part: Pro gives you unlimited edits. Want to see your image in every colour palette? Go for it. Not sure whether 50% or 70% stretch looks better? Try both. Stars in, stars out, heavily reduced? Run them all and keep your favourites.

You can style each image exactly how you want, without ever opening complex editing software.

 

 

Important Things to Keep in Mind

  • Upload linear, stacked images. TIFF, FIT or FITS files straight from your stacking software (or exported from your smart telescope) give the best results.
  • Avoid pre-edited JPEGs. The JPEGs some smart telescope apps produce have already been processed and compressed, so they won’t edit well.
  • Deep sky only. AstroEditor AI is designed for nebulae, galaxies and clusters. It isn’t built for Milky Way shots or images with landscapes or foregrounds.
  • Crop matters. Clean edges give a much more balanced edit.
  • Timing varies. Edits usually take 5–30 minutes, depending on how busy the service is and how big your file is. Smart telescope images are small, so they come back quicker. Large APS-C or full-frame images take longer.
  • No confirmation email? Your image probably didn’t upload properly, so try again. An unsupported file type is the most common cause.

We Want to Hear from You!

AstroEditor AI v2 was shaped by feedback from our users, and we’d love to hear yours. Found a setting combination you love? Hit a snag? Have an idea for v3? Email us at support@astroedit.co.uk.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AstroEditor AI free? Yes. The standard AstroEditor AI is completely free. Just register for an account on our website. AstroEditor AI Pro is a paid upgrade that adds full manual control, colour palettes, starless images and editable files.

 

 

What’s the difference between AstroEditor AI and AstroEditor AI Pro? The free version gives you one-click editing with a choice of six v2 models. Pro adds control over contrast, cropping, stretch intensity, saturation, curves, star reduction, starless output, colour palettes, colour boosts and FITS/TIFF exports, all with unlimited edits.

 

 

What file types can I upload? TIFF, FIT and FITS. For the best results, upload a linear, stacked image rather than a pre-edited JPEG.

 

 

Which model should I use for my Seestar or Dwarf images? Use the Smart Telescope models. They’re trained specifically on images from smart telescopes like the Seestar S30, S50 and S30 Pro and the Dwarf 2 and Dwarf 3. Start with Smart Telescope Balanced and adjust from there.

 

 

What is the Foraxx colour palette? Foraxx is a method of creating HOO and SHO palettes that blends the colour channels dynamically instead of in fixed amounts. It can bring out different colours in your nebula depending on the target. AstroEditor AI Pro offers both Foraxx HOO and Foraxx SHO.

 

 

How long does an edit take? Usually between 5 and 30 minutes, depending on demand and your file size. Smart telescope images tend to come back fastest.

 

 

Can I keep editing the result in my own software? Yes. Pro users can get a FITS or TIFF file of the edit, plus a separate stars-only file when creating starless images.

 

 

Does AstroEditor AI work for Milky Way or landscape photos? No. It’s designed for deep sky targets like nebulae, galaxies and clusters, and doesn’t handle foregrounds or wide-field Milky Way shots well.

 

 

Do I need to install anything? No. AstroEditor AI runs in your web browser on any device, including laptops, iPhones, iPads and Android phones and tablets. All the processing happens on our servers.

 

 

Take the Next Step: Try v2 Today

You don’t have to choose between spending months learning complex software and settling for flat, noisy images. Upload your stacked file, pick a model and let AstroEditor AI v2 do the heavy lifting.

 

Try AstroEditor AI for free: astroedit.co.uk/astroeditor-signup

And when you’re ready for full control over colour palettes, starless images, star reduction and editable files, upgrade to AstroEditor AI Pro. Choose a monthly plan (cancel any time) or a one-time lifetime membership.

 

Explore AstroEditor AI Pro: astroedit.co.uk/astroeditor-pro

 

Clear skies!

Tom (Founder, AstroEdit)