What AstroBin is all about
Online since 2011, AstroBin is the #1 complete solution for image hosting of astrophotography. Far from being a generic run-of-the-mill image hosting website, it boasts features that are very specific to astrophotography and its philosophy is all about quality.
How is this different from any other image-sharing websites?
AstroBin provides a number of features that are tailored specifically to astrophotography. Here's a quick rundown of the main ones.
Dedication to data
On a general-purpose image sharing site, you would upload your image and be done with it.
AstroBin, instead, has a user interface specifically designed to enable you to input all the technical data of your image.
AstroBin will autocomplete your input using a vast database: everything from telescopes, CCDs, and filters to astronomical objects in many catalogs will show in popup dialogs for easy selection when you start typing their names.
Data is strongly interconnected
Have you ever wanted to know what your next image is going to look like? On AstroBin, you can search for all images of a certain target that were taken with a certain telescope and a certain CCD or camera. Or a certain filter. How about all the images between 6 and 8 hours of integration? Or with a certain moon phase? You can do that.
AstroBin can help you with your next telescope or camera purchase, by searching for gear combinations owned by other users. For instance, you could search for all images taken with a Canon 5D and an apochromatic refractor, or an SBIG ST-8300 with any Ritchey-Chretien telescope.
All the data at a glance
Each image on AstroBin can be annotated with all the technical details about its acquisition. Telescopes involved, cameras, mounts, filters, everything is visible at a glance in the Technical Card. Even the Moon age at the time of the acquisition is displayed.
More than just an image
AstroBin will do more than just host a copy of your image: when you upload a photograph, a histogram and a black & white inverted, enhanced version of the image will be generated on the fly, so it's easier to spot faint nebulosity regions or spiral arms.
Images will also be plate solved, and an annotated version will appear on the site. AstroBin will know what are the astronomical objects in your image without you telling.
More than image hosting
AstroBin is not just an image hosting website. It's also a thriving community with over 10,000 active members daily which have engaged in millions of social interactions since the inception of the website. It's a place where you can connect with like minded people, learn and/or help others.
The AstroBin forums are an incredible resource with lots activity every hour of the day.
And by the way, there's a marketplace too!
As you have undoubtedly realized by now, AstroBin is way more than an image hosting service. It's what the Astrophotography community has needed for a long time. For years, I have seen amazing images scattered all over the Internet: general-purpose image hosting sites, forums, personal websites, and even temporary places. Some of those images contain data that is too precious to go wasted in a sea of chaos.
AstroBin comes to the rescue to provide a home and a central hub for astrophotographers all over the world.
