All Other: GCX

4.0 Good software for CCD Photometry.

Versatile; Can be modified for use with many CCD cameras

A bit of a learning curve, especially if new to CCD Photometry

GCX is a program that is useful primarily for variable star observers that do photometry with CCD cameras.

GCX is a rewrite of the former cx program using Gtk1.2. and was written for use on the Linux operating system. It provides full-featured camera control functions, observation scripting, and automatic data reduction for variable stars using recipe files.

Cameras are controlled through a hardware-specific server, to which gcx connects through a TCP socket. It includes the control process for the cpx3m camera (complete plans for the camera are available via the website). The control process can be modified for other cameras.

The program can control telescopes which use the LX200 protocol, and is able to refine its pointing accuracy by matching images to the GSC catalog position of stars.

It does a very good job at Aperture Photometry and does Multi-Frame reductions. Interfacing uses plain-ascii files for configuration files, reports and recipes.

This is FREE software and is licensed under the GNU General Public License. If you are a professional on a budget (remember it's free!), or an amateur looking for very good photometric software, then GCX is well worth a look and try.