diff --git a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsdata.cpp b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsdata.cpp
--- a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsdata.cpp
+++ b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsdata.cpp
@@ -4224,6 +4224,8 @@
 int FITSData::findSEPStars(const QRect &boundary)
 {
     int x = 0, y = 0, w = stats.width, h = stats.height, maxRadius = 50;
+    std::vector<std::pair<int, double>> ovals;
+    const int maxNumCenters = 100;
 
     if (!boundary.isNull())
     {
@@ -4236,31 +4238,31 @@
 
     auto * data = new float[w * h];
 
-    switch (stats.bitpix)
+    switch (m_DataType)
     {
-        case BYTE_IMG:
+        case TBYTE:
             getFloatBuffer<uint8_t>(data, x, y, w, h);
             break;
-        case SHORT_IMG:
+        case TSHORT:
             getFloatBuffer<int16_t>(data, x, y, w, h);
             break;
-        case USHORT_IMG:
+        case TUSHORT:
             getFloatBuffer<uint16_t>(data, x, y, w, h);
             break;
-        case LONG_IMG:
+        case TLONG:
             getFloatBuffer<int32_t>(data, x, y, w, h);
             break;
-        case ULONG_IMG:
+        case TULONG:
             getFloatBuffer<uint32_t>(data, x, y, w, h);
             break;
-        case FLOAT_IMG:
+        case TFLOAT:
             delete [] data;
             data = reinterpret_cast<float *>(m_ImageBuffer);
             break;
-        case LONGLONG_IMG:
+        case TLONGLONG:
             getFloatBuffer<int64_t>(data, x, y, w, h);
             break;
-        case DOUBLE_IMG:
+        case TDOUBLE:
             getFloatBuffer<double>(data, x, y, w, h);
             break;
         default:
@@ -4306,8 +4308,22 @@
     // Must limit to brightest 100 (by flux) centers
     // Should probably use ellipse to draw instead of simple circle?
     // Useful for galaxies and also elenogated stars.
+
+    // Find the oval sizes for each detection in the detected star catalog, and sort by that. Oval size
+    // correlates very well with HFR, so we don't need to call sep_flux_radius on all detections later
+    // to find the maxNumCenters largest stars. This can save a lot of time.
     for (int i = 0; i < catalog->nobj; i++)
     {
+        const double ovalSizeSq = catalog->a[i]*catalog->a[i] + catalog->b[i]*catalog->b[i];
+        ovals.push_back(std::pair<int, double>(i, ovalSizeSq));
+    }
+    std::sort(ovals.begin(), ovals.end(), [](const std::pair<int, double>& o1, const std::pair<int, double>& o2) -> bool { return o1.second > o2.second;});
+
+    // Go through the largest (by oval size) detections and compute the HFR for the first maxNumCenters.
+    for (int index = 0; index < catalog->nobj; index++)
+    {
+        if (index >= maxNumCenters) break;
+        int i = ovals[index].first;
         double flux = catalog->flux[i];
         // Get HFR
         sep_flux_radius(&im, catalog->x[i], catalog->y[i], maxRadius, 5, 0, &flux, requested_frac, 2, flux_fractions, &flux_flag);
@@ -4324,11 +4340,11 @@
     }
 
     // Let's sort edges, starting with widest
-    std::sort(edges.begin(), edges.end(), [](const Edge * edge1, const Edge * edge2) -> bool { return edge1->width > edge2->width;});
+    std::sort(edges.begin(), edges.end(), [](const Edge * edge1, const Edge * edge2) -> bool { return edge1->HFR > edge2->HFR;});
 
     // Take only the first 100 stars
     {
-        int starCount = qMin(100, edges.count());
+        int starCount = qMin(maxNumCenters, edges.count());
         for (int i = 0; i < starCount; i++)
             starCenters.append(edges[i]);
     }
@@ -4358,7 +4374,6 @@
         qCritical(KSTARS_FITS) << errorMessage;
         return -1;
     }
-
     return starCenters.count();
 }
 
diff --git a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitstab.cpp b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitstab.cpp
--- a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitstab.cpp
+++ b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitstab.cpp
@@ -442,11 +442,11 @@
       histogram->constructHistogram();
     }
 
-    evaluateStats();
-
     if (viewer->isStarsMarked())
       view->toggleStars(true);
 
+    evaluateStats();
+
     loadFITSHeader();
 
     // Don't add it to the list if it is already there
diff --git a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsview.cpp b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsview.cpp
--- a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsview.cpp
+++ b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsview.cpp
@@ -1447,10 +1447,10 @@
         QApplication::setOverrideCursor(Qt::WaitCursor);
         emit newStatus(i18n("Finding stars..."), FITS_MESSAGE);
         qApp->processEvents();
-        int count = findStars();
+        int count = findStars(ALGORITHM_SEP);
 
         if (count >= 0 && isVisible())
-            emit newStatus(i18np("1 star detected.", "%1 stars detected.", count), FITS_MESSAGE);
+            emit newStatus(i18np("1 star detected. HFR=%2", "%1 stars detected. HFR=%2", count, imageData->getHFR()), FITS_MESSAGE);
         QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
     }
 }
diff --git a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsviewer.cpp b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsviewer.cpp
--- a/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsviewer.cpp
+++ b/kstars/fitsviewer/fitsviewer.cpp
@@ -560,7 +560,8 @@
         view->updateFrame();
 
     if (markStars)
-        updateStatusBar(i18np("%1 star detected.", "%1 stars detected.", view->getImageData()->getDetectedStars()),
+        updateStatusBar(i18np("%1 star detected. HFR=%2", "%1 stars detected. HFR=%2",
+                              view->getImageData()->getDetectedStars(), view->getImageData()->getHFR()),
                         FITS_MESSAGE);
     else
         updateStatusBar("", FITS_MESSAGE);