Hot Pixels

[sandconp]

I am curious how Star Tools handles hot pixels? In PixInsight, I turn on Cosmetic Correction during the stacking process.

[admin]

Hot pixels should indeed always be taken care of during stacking, primarily by stacking properly dithered data and secondarily, by using darks/bias calibration (for "warm" pixels). Cosmetic Correction-type algorithms are a last line of defense and should not be your immediate go-to.

Hot pixels do not really fall in the realm of post-processing. That said, unlike dead pixels (aka "dark anomalies"), they don't bother StarTools a whole lot if still present. If absolutely necessary, they can be removed using the Heal module.

I hope this helps,