StarTools

The ease of processing difficult images with Star Tools continues to amaze and delight me!
The attached M8 shot was taken from orange-zone skies, and at 49 deg. latitude, so in the muck and mire of the urban atmosphere.
Amazingly, the "Wipe" module made short work of the horrible gradients that would have otherwise spoiled the image.
There is so much more goodness to retrieve from the data, but here is the result of just a few minutes work with Star Tools.
Thank you, Ivo!

Image Info:
C-11 EdgeHD/CGEM-DX/Hyperstar/Canon 450d-Baader Mod/IDAS-LP/50mm-SSAG-PHD Guiding
2.6 hours total integration, plus calibration.

Very nice! An not a trace of any dreaded light pollution!
Did you try using the Color module before switching Tracking off?

admin wrote:Very nice! An not a trace of any dreaded light pollution!
Did you try using the Color module before switching Tracking off?

Ivo,

Thank you for the kind words...and the awesome software that helps it come together.

As far as the "Color" module is concerned, I can't remember how I handled it.
I have experimented, though, on other images with tracking on and off. Sometimes I think I can get a color rendition that pleases my eye better with the tracking off.
One-Shot (DSLR) color (with LP filter) combined with less than ideal urban sky conditions, is sometimes pretty difficult.
If you'd like to give me some advice on this, please fire away.

Regards,
Ancient Eyes

ancienteyes wrote:

admin wrote:Very nice! An not a trace of any dreaded light pollution!
Did you try using the Color module before switching Tracking off?

Ivo,

Thank you for the kind words...and the awesome software that helps it come together.

As far as the "Color" module is concerned, I can't remember how I handled it.
I have experimented, though, on other images with tracking on and off. Sometimes I think I can get a color rendition that pleases my eye better with the tracking off.
One-Shot (DSLR) color (with LP filter) combined with less than ideal urban sky conditions, is sometimes pretty difficult.
If you'd like to give me some advice on this, please fire away.

Regards,
Ancient Eyes

At the end of the day, all that counts is what you're happy with. Using the color module at the end of the process will allow you to recover color ratios as your CCD caught them in a replicable way. M8 will exhibits a purplish/pink associated with HII areas, while star temperatures can be accurately described by means of color.