StarTools

I took this eclipse image during totality, and am having trouble bringing out any color in the solar flares. Can anyone assist? The image appears to be strictly black and white. I also get a strange checkerboard pattern in the background after running autodev.

Here is a Google drive link (FITS file) if you can take a look. I also included the Sharpcap capture file for other details. Any assistance would be really appreciated!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mo5S8C ... sp=sharing

[ZWO ASI294MC Pro (0A21820F28000900, via USB3)]
FrameType=Light
Debayer Preview=On
Pan=0
Tilt=0
Output Format=FITS files (*.fits)
Binning=1
Capture Area=4144x2822
Colour Space=RAW16
Exposure/Gain Shift=0
High Speed Mode=Off
Turbo USB=40
Flip=None
Frame Rate Limit=Maximum
Gain=50
Exposure=1.000s
Timestamp Frames=Off
White Bal (B)=76
White Bal (R)=60
Brightness=27
Cooler Power=0
Temperature=17.6
Target Temperature=-10
Cooler=Off
Auto Exp Max Gain=0
Auto Exp Max Exp MS=30000
Auto Exp Target Brightness=100
Mono Bin=Off
Power Led Bright=0
Mask over exposed pixels=Off
Flip (after dark/flat)=None
Trail Width=3
Minimum Trail Length=100
Trail Detection Sensitivity=9
Remove Satellite Trails=Off
Background Subtraction=Off
Planet/Disk Stabilization=Off
Banding Threshold=10
Banding Suppression=0
Apply Flat=None
Hot Pixel Sensitivity=5
Subtract Dark=None
DisplayStretchEnable=1
NegativeDisplay=0
Display Black Point=0.029082774049217
Display MidTone Point=0.059955724801825545
Display White Point=1
Notes=
EQMOD ASCOM HEQ5/6=RA=01:05:12,Dec=+01:17:49 (JNOW)
TimeStamp=2024-04-08T19:28:28.6409678Z
SharpCapVersion=4.1.11388.0
StartCapture=2024-04-08T19:28:27.7441296Z
MidCapture=2024-04-08T19:28:28.2441296Z
EndCapture=2024-04-08T19:28:28.7441296Z
JDStartCapture=2460409.311432
JDMidCapture=2460409.311438
JDEndCapture=2460409.311444
Duration=1.000s
FrameCount=1
ActualFrameRate=1.0000fps
TimeZone=-4.00

Hi, I think there's a problem with the FITS file. It seems to be monochrome, but there is a Bayer matrix pattern clearly visible. It needs to be debayered, but that's not so easy as it is opened and treated as monochrome. I tried to convert it with FITSWork "CCD to RGB" and to split into 3 b/w images, but I'm not sure if that's the way to go.

But I guess, this is the right direction. I hope it helps. Maybe someone else has an idea on how to fix that FITS file.

Dietmar.

Hey John,

I really don't know Sharpcap at all or how it produced your file, but otherwise can echo what Dietmar said.

I dragged the file into PI to check the header and specs, and yeah it looks bayered still. So I just ran a debayer and it came up color. Seemingly the right pattern, as the sky was generally blue and the flares were a hot pink/reddish (which I've seen in other captures), but I wouldn't know how to make sure it gets properly white balanced in the Color module (I tried after saving the debayered file as a different FITS). Probably just manual fiddling.

Trying to stretch good detail from the corona may be difficult also if that spans a lot of dynamic range, since this file is only 16-bit. Does Sharpcap not produce 32-bit stacks?

Thanks for the replies. Hey Mike - hope you are doing well. I went back and debayered it in PI and the pictures came out great, and in color. The reason it was not debayered was because I did not use DSS (which debayers automatically). I therefore was not used to debayering for single (unstacked) frames. Thanks again for your assistance!