Astronomy and Nature

Update 2020/12/05

- StarMax -

STARTRAILS!! You dreamed to do it easily, now do it !

Picture : Sylvain Weiller - created with StarMax

DownLoad...

DownLoad Starmax - Version 2.5.35 - for Windows - 98, XP, Vista,7,8,10
File Size: ~ 1800 ko - ZIP format
This version is Free for personal and no commercial Use.
Feel free to ask for other use.

New in version 2.5.xx:

- Function MovingMax - create animations for dynamic startrails

- Read pictures in format: BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIF -

Translations: English, French.
Feel free to contact me if you plan to translate Starmax in other language.

Installation:
Unzip in the desired directory.
You will get a directory named "starmax-2-5-35" including file "Starmax.exe" and a sub-directory "lng" with language translation files(Fr.lng and En.lng)

Note: Version 1.1 and above allows you loading "DXO Optics" TIF Files - thanks to Laurent Laveder asked about this.
This software is still in development. Come back to this page from time to time to download new versions.

Please, If you download Starmax, let me know if you liked it via email

How it works!

StarMax is an easy Star Trails creator.

Shortly, How to make a Star Trails Picture:

- Put your camera with a wide angle lens on a tripod.
- Take a lot of pictures at regular intervals (eg. 30s exposure, 10s for saving to memory, 30s exposure...) at about 400ISO and F/D=8 or more.
If you need a sequencer, I suggest Denis Joye's Pocket Shutter .. It's just wonderful..

- Start a list in Starmax by selecting your pictures.
- Build Star Trails with StarMax-AddMax function.
- Use StarMax-AddMin process and build a pseudo dark picture that you will subtract to your AddMAx result to correct most of the light pollution.

- StarMax allows you to save each step of the star trails process, then it's fun to make an animated star trails file with a free software like VirtualDub.

Users Photos Galery

Pictures of Laurent Laveder: Earth, Sea and Sky...

Many thanks to Laurent Laveder for these beautiful images from Bretagne - France.
More pictures on Laurent's Site : http://www.pixheaven.net

StarTrails - Bretagne coast (France) - Laurent Laveder - 09/2007

Vénus in fire - Laurent Laveder - 09/2007

Users' Star Trails..

- Walk through the sky with Jan Timmermans.. http://www.thefirmament.nl/startrails.html
very nice pictures - Sun, planetaries, nebulae and galaxies, and more...

- Goto the Astronomy Webcam Paradise on Sylvain Weiller's site...
An easy tutorial to make Star Trails and lots of nice astro pictures..

Mail and User Help

Help?
Ideas for new functionalities?

Show me your pictures created with StarMax...

Email ...