New to StarTools - M31 Test

[Pascal]

Hi all!

New to this forum and new to Startools. I am new to astrophotography (less than a year) and enjoying every minute of it. I had been looking for a post-processing solution for a while now and finally decided to try this amazing little program. As my first test case, I took multiple exposures of M31 and stacked them in DSS (following the recommended setting I found in this forum). I then processed the image with Startools using posted workflows (I still have a lot to learn for me to understand each tools and their function). My initial result is attached below.

Here is my original DSS file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/itcfa9ofkriaqbj/M31.TIF?dl=0

If anyone here could point me in the right direction as to how I can get this image better, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Pascal

[Rkonrad]

HI Pascal,

Here is my version. It's not perfect by any means as I'm relatively new too. https://www.flickr.com/gp/rkonrad/789Lq3 (private link). Here's the data -lots of it! I actually didn't spend that much time on it. Great data Pascal!
In the end I also got a nice green ring around the core. I masked it and desaturated it in the colour module.

File loaded [/home/rkonrad/Downloads/unprocessed_tif/M31.TIF].
---
--- Auto Develop
Parameter [Ignore Fine Detail <] set to [Off]
Parameter [Outside ROI Influence] set to [15 %]
--- Crop
Parameter [X1] set to [60 pixels]
Parameter [Y1] set to [56 pixels]
Parameter [X2] set to [5121 pixels (-81)]
Parameter [Y2] set to [3401 pixels (-64)]
--- Bin
Parameter [Scale] set to [(scale/noise reduction 50.00%)/(400.00%)/(+2.00 bits)]
--- Wipe
Parameter [Mode] set to [Correct Color & Brightness]
Parameter [UNKNOWN] set to [Yes]
Parameter [Precision] set to [256 x 256 pixels]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Filter] set to [1 pixels]
Parameter [Drop Off Point] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Corner Aggressiveness] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Aggressiveness] set to [75 %]
--- Auto Develop
Parameter [Ignore Fine Detail <] set to [2.1 pixels]
Parameter [Outside ROI Influence] set to [15 %]
--- HDR
Parameter [Small Detail Precision] set to [Max]
Parameter [Channels] set to [Brightness Only]
Parameter [Algorithm] set to [Tame Highlights]
Parameter [Dark/Bright Response] set to [0.21]
Parameter [Detail Size Range] set to [20 pixels]
Parameter [Noise Suppression] set to [Off]
--- HDR
Parameter [Small Detail Precision] set to [Max]
Parameter [Channels] set to [Brightness Only]
Parameter [Algorithm] set to [Equalize]
Parameter [Dark/Bright Response] set to [0.25]
Parameter [Detail Size Range] set to [21 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 [2.0 pixels]
Parameter [Iterations] set to [11]
Parameter [Regularization] set to [1.00 (optimal noise and detail)]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [8.0 pixels]
--- Contrast
Parameter [Expose Dark Areas] set to [No]
Parameter [Compensate Gamma] set to [No]
Parameter [Precision] set to [256 x 256 pixels]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Filter] set to [1 pixels]
Parameter [Aggressiveness] set to [25 %]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Headroom] set to [15 %]
--- 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 [291 %]
Parameter [Small Detail Bias] set to [75 %]
--- Contrast
Parameter [Expose Dark Areas] set to [No]
Parameter [Compensate Gamma] set to [No]
Parameter [Precision] set to [256 x 256 pixels]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Filter] set to [2 pixels]
Parameter [Aggressiveness] set to [25 %]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Headroom] set to [15 %]
--- 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 [168 %]
Parameter [Blue Bias Reduce] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Green Bias Reduce] set to [1.14]
Parameter [Red Bias Reduce] set to [1.73]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [1.0 pixels]
--- Contrast
Parameter [Expose Dark Areas] set to [No]
Parameter [Compensate Gamma] set to [No]
Parameter [Precision] set to [256 x 256 pixels]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Filter] set to [5 pixels]
Parameter [Aggressiveness] set to [26 %]
Parameter [Dark Anomaly Headroom] set to [15 %]
--- 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 [4.5 pixels]
Parameter [Read Noise Compensation] set to [Off]
Parameter [Smoothness] set to [78 %]
--- Color
Parameter [Cap Green] set to [No]
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 [9.90]
Parameter [Bright Saturation] set to [9.90]
Parameter [Saturation Amount] set to [139 %]
Parameter [Blue Bias Reduce] set to [1.09]
Parameter [Green Bias Reduce] set to [1.03]
Parameter [Red Bias Reduce] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [1.0 pixels]
--- Color
Parameter [Cap Green] set to [To Yellow]
Parameter [Bias Slider Mode] set to [Sliders Increase Color Bias]
Parameter [Style] set to [Scientific (Color Constancy)]
Parameter [LRGB Method Emulation] set to [Straight CIELab Luminance Retention]
Parameter [Dark Saturation] set to [Full]
Parameter [Bright Saturation] set to [Full]
Parameter [Saturation Amount] set to [100 %]
Parameter [Blue Bias Increase] set to [1.07]
Parameter [Green Bias Increase] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Red Bias Increase] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [1.0 pixels]
--- Develop
Parameter [White Calibration] set to [Use Stars]
Parameter [Gamma] set to [0.86]
Parameter [Skyglow] set to [0 %]
Parameter [Digital Development] set to [Off]
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]
--- Color
Parameter [Cap Green] set to [No]
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 [Full]
Parameter [Bright Saturation] set to [Full]
Parameter [Saturation Amount] set to [18 %]
Parameter [Blue Bias Reduce] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Green Bias Reduce] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Red Bias Reduce] set to [1.00]
Parameter [Mask Fuzz] set to [1.0 pixels]

[admin]

Hi Pascal,

Welcome to the forums!

Rkonrad did a wonderful job with your data, and your own rendition has a lot of merits too.

You will notice Rkonrad binned your data, so that you get a better signal at a lower resolution, which can then be pushed harder. See here on how/why you would bin.

You got some really nice informative(!) coloring going on here, which Rkonrad was able to bring out even more (specifically the outer rim).

A good "random" distribution of foreground star temperatures, a yellowish core (older stars, less star formation), and a bluer outer rim (younger stars, more star formation).

Very nice!

[Pascal]

Thanks for the info Rkonrad. Your workflow will help me learn the program even more. Just what I was looking for.

As well, thanks Ivo for the welcome. I am looking forward to use your nice little program on more data, just need to get out there when the conditions are good!

Pascal

[Rkonrad]

Your welcome and thanks Pascal and Ivo. It's such a luxury to work on really good data. I feel like I'm doing patch-up work with my own. Regarding binning - I often can't tell whether it's appropriate to bin or not. Maybe my eyes aren't yet discriminating enough.

Cheers

Richard

[admin]

I often can't tell whether it's appropriate to bin or not.

A good rule of thumb is that, if you zoom in and the "tiniest" (e.g. non-overexposing) stars you can find are more than 3 pixels wide, then you can bin your data without losing detail.

Stars are supposed to be neat point lights, though diffracted by your scope's diffraction pattern. If their cores are not overexposing and their cores are "smeared out" over multiple pixels you are likely oversampling.

[Pascal]

Hi guys, I meant to post my re-processed image and never got around to it. I had to do a bit of cropping to get the file size down. Once again, big thanks for the help.