New to Astro Image Processing - Help/Advice Needed

[Arrowstar]

Hi everyone,

I've just started my own astrophotography "career" about a month or so ago and so far so good. Last night I finished up taking my first "real" set of data. The target is M42, the Orion Nebula (the typical beginner target, of course). 30 second exposures, 50 darks, 100 bias on a Canon T3 DSLR. Flats escaped me due to the time and cold air temperature. Data was stacked in DSS. Anyway, here's what I ended up with. Screenshot because I'm still waiting for my license file to get emailed to me.

I think it turned out alright, but it's pretty noisy! I was hoping someone could help me by taking my original stacked image and processing it in StarTools, and then either provide me with the output log or a walkthrough of what you did to get the image to its final state. I'd really like to learn the software better, and learning by example is the best way many times.

Here's the stacked output from DSS.

Anyone out there willing to help?

[LanFeusT]

That's a fantastic first try! I'm actually quite jealous, I've yet to take such a pretty M42!
What lens/scope/mount did you use to take this?

This is my go at it. I still have some issues with the color module, I think there's a tad too much blue in the stars (which is funny because with my camera Canon 60D I have too much red/purple) but I didn't spend too much time on it. I can't seem to ever properly balance colors.

Here's the workflow for this image:

Code: Select all

-----------------------------------------------------------
StarTools 1.3.5.289
Thu Jan 14 19:33:47 2016
-----------------------------------------------------------
File loaded [C:\Users\LanFeusT\Downloads\stacked4_darks_bias.TIF].
--- 
--- Bin
Parameter [Scale] set to [(scale/noise reduction 50.00%)/(400.00%)/(+2.00 bits)]
--- Auto Develop
Parameter [Ignore Fine Detail <] set to [Off]
Parameter [Outside ROI Influence] set to [15 %]
--- Crop
Parameter [X1] set to [121 pixels]
Parameter [Y1] set to [90 pixels]
Parameter [X2] set to [1922 pixels (-223)]
Parameter [Y2] set to [1329 pixels (-99)]
--- Wipe
Parameter [Mode] set to [Correct Color & Brightness]
Parameter [UNKNOWN] set to [No]
Parameter [Precision] set to [256 x 256 pixels]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Filter] set to [1 pixels]
Parameter [Drop Off Point] set to [0 %]
Parameter [Corner Aggressiveness] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Aggressiveness] set to [75 %]
--- Develop
Parameter [White Calibration] set to [Use Stars]
Parameter [Gamma] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Skyglow] set to [0 %]
Parameter [Digital Development] set to [88.86 %]
Parameter [Blue Luminance Contrib.] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Green Luminance Contrib.] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Red Luminance Contrib.] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Headroom] set to [5 %]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Filter] set to [Off]
--- HDR
Parameter [Small Detail Precision] set to [Max]
Parameter [Channels] set to [Brightness Only]
Parameter [Algorithm] set to [Optimize Hard]
Parameter [Dark/Bright Response] set to [Full]
Parameter [Detail Size Range] set to [64 pixels]
Parameter [Noise Suppression] set to [Off]
--- Deconvolution
Parameter [Image Type] set to [Deep Space]
Parameter [Mask Behavior] set to [De-ring Mask Gaps, Hide Result]
Parameter [Radius] set to [2.5 pixels]
Parameter [Iterations] set to [6]
Parameter [Regularization] set to [1.00 (optimal noise and detail)]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [8.0 pixels]
--- Wavelet Sharpen
Parameter [Intelligent Enhance] set to [Yes]
Parameter [Scale 1] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Scale 2] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Scale 3] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Scale 4] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Scale 5] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [8.0 pixels]
Parameter [Amount] set to [116 %]
Parameter [Small Detail Bias] set to [75 %]
--- Color
Parameter [Cap Green] set to [To Yellow]
Parameter [Bias Slider Mode] set to [Sliders Reduce Color Bias]
Parameter [Style] set to [Scientific (Color Constancy)]
Parameter [LRGB Method Emulation] set to [Straight CIELab Luminance Retention]
Parameter [Dark Saturation] set to [2.00]
Parameter [Bright Saturation] set to [Full]
Parameter [Saturation Amount] set to [200 %]
Parameter [Blue Bias Reduce] set to [1.56]
Parameter [Green Bias Reduce] set to [1.35]
Parameter [Red Bias Reduce] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [1.0 pixels]
--- Wavelet De-Noise
Parameter [Scale 1] set to [90 %]
Parameter [Scale 2] set to [90 %]
Parameter [Scale 3] set to [90 %]
Parameter [Scale 4] set to [90 %]
Parameter [Scale 5] set to [0 %]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [1.0 pixels]
Parameter [Scale Correlation] set to [3]
Parameter [Color Detail Loss] set to [12 %]
Parameter [Brightness Detail Loss] set to [12 %]
Parameter [Grain Size] set to [4.2 pixels]
Parameter [Read Noise Compensation] set to [Off]
Parameter [Smoothness] set to [70 %]
File saved [C:\Users\LanFeusT\Downloads\stacked4_darks_bias.tiff].

[LanFeusT]

Additionally a few tricks that made this a bit improved, obviously the color module at the end, right before you stop tracking and doing noise reduction.

But more importantly I think are the details I got out of the image are the Deconvolution and Sharp module that were able to bring out some details in the gas cloud. Try taking a few more shots with a lower ISO or a lower exposure time to get some details in the core as well, it's a little blown out right now!

[Arrowstar]

Hey thanks! The image was taken with an AT72ED on an iOptron Smart EQ Pro. The Canon had a Astronomik CLS filter in it, hence the blue everywhere. Sadly it's basically a necessity in my Bortle 7 skies.

Appreciate your help greatly! Looks like you really cut the noise more than I did. I really like it.

[LanFeusT]

Np!

I need to get me one of those CLS clip really... done, buying that today!

[admin]

Hi,

These are very nice results!
Please take some time to read the Color module documentation, as it should hopefully help with getting to grips with color balancing (there are many ways/techniques supported by ST!) and what to look out for.
However, also please take note of the section on light pollution filters;

Colour balancing of data that was filtered by a light pollution filter

Colour balancing of data that was filtered by a light pollution filter is fundamentally impossible; narrow (or wider) bands of the spectrum are missing and no amount of colour balancing is going to bring them back and achieve proper colouring. A typical filtered data set will show a distinct lack in yellow and some green when properly colour balanced. It's by no means the end of the world - it's just something to be mindful of.

Correct colouring may be achieved however by shooting deep luminance data with light pollution filter in place, while shooting colour data without filter in place, after which both are processed separately and finally combined. Colour data is much more forgiving in terms of quality of signal and noise; the human eye is much more sensitive to noise in the luminance data that it is in the colour data. By making clever use of that fact and performing some trivial light pollution removal in Wipe, the best of both worlds can be achieved.

Hope this helps!

[Arrowstar]

Thanks, Ivo! Appreciate the reply with info and the complement.