<p>This doesn't need programming but the <a href="http://www.astromatic.net/software/skymaker" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SkyMaker</a> package will generate very realistic astronomical images from catalogs produced by <a href="http://www.astromatic.net/software/stuff" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stuff</a>. It includes realistic models of stars and galaxies and the point spread function including e.g. atmospheric blurring and noise effects in the CCD (blooming, saturation etc)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-20T22:21:09.090Z
2018-07-20T22:21:09.090Z
astrosnapper
<p>Is there any python/IDL code available to create synthetic test images of stars with and without background noise?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-03T18:36:58.737Z
for what purpose? Is there any reason you can't use real images of stars (from SDSS or similar)? What has this question to do with radio astronomy? or astrophysics?
James K
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-03T19:29:06.483Z
What do you mean by "images of stars"?
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-03T21:38:58.263Z
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is mostly about python and programming.
Sir Cumference
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-04T09:14:19.277Z
Are you talking about "star testing"? (i.e. looking at the airy disc and diffraction patterns of stars that are caused by an actual telescope)
Andy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-04T09:23:14.650Z
I voted to leave this question open, but it needs to be clarified asap.
adrianmcmenamin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-04T12:32:59.973Z
Pyraf has a task called [mkobjects](http://stsdas.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/gethelp.cgi?mkobjects) that lets you define stellar profiles with a desired PSF (Gaussian, Moffat, even user-given), and a Poisson background.
pela
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-04T13:24:04.927Z
I could make this an answer, but I tend to agree with @SirCumference that this is more appropriately asked at StackOverflow. However, since it's so specific to astronomers and amateur astronomers, in some sense I feel it belongs here.
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-21T17:32:46.767Z
perhaps use PS/Gimp to process real star images, select the central light using flood fill, use some kinds of sly selection tricks and filters to get the best images that you can. that way you can perhaps make a batch editing job and create 1000 star images using only the central light from thousands of real photos, it would give a lot of variability.
bandybabboon
<astrophysics><radio-astronomy><photometry>
How to create synthetic test images of stars?
Meegle
# How to create synthetic test images of stars?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-03)

Is there any python/IDL code available to create synthetic test images of stars with and without background noise?

**Tags:** astrophysics, radio-astronomy, photometry

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: for what purpose? Is there any reason you can't use real images of stars (from SDSS or similar)? What has this question to do with radio astronomy? or astrophysics?  
> **username_2**: What do you mean by "images of stars"?  
> **username_3**: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is mostly about python and programming.  
> **username_4**: Are you talking about "star testing"? (i.e. looking at the airy disc and diffraction patterns of stars that are caused by an actual telescope)  
> **username_5**: I voted to leave this question open, but it needs to be clarified asap.  
> **username_6**: Pyraf has a task called [mkobjects](http://stsdas.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/gethelp.cgi?mkobjects) that lets you define stellar profiles with a desired PSF (Gaussian, Moffat, even user-given), and a Poisson background.  
> **username_6**: I could make this an answer, but I tend to agree with @SirCumference that this is more appropriately asked at StackOverflow. However, since it's so specific to astronomers and amateur astronomers, in some sense I feel it belongs here.  
> **username_7**: perhaps use PS/Gimp to process real star images, select the central light using flood fill, use some kinds of sly selection tricks and filters to get the best images that you can. that way you can perhaps make a batch editing job and create 1000 star images using only the central light from thousands of real photos, it would give a lot of variability.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2018-07-20. Score: 1

This doesn't need programming but the [SkyMaker](http://www.astromatic.net/software/skymaker) package will generate very realistic astronomical images from catalogs produced by [Stuff](http://www.astromatic.net/software/stuff). It includes realistic models of stars and galaxies and the point spread function including e.g. atmospheric blurring and noise effects in the CCD (blooming, saturation etc)


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