NGC 2736 Pencil nebula

This is my attempt to process data graciously provided by Greg Turgeon as part of a processing contest!

Planewave 17” CDK on 10Micron GM3000 mount

FLI ML16803 with Chroma LRGB & HO filters

Deep Sky West, Chile

Integration : 30h

L: 24x600"

R: 24x300"

G: 24x300"

B: 23x300"

Ha: 22x1800"

OIII: 17x1800"

Total : 30h

Processed with Pixinsight & Photoshop : LHO - RHVBO

Thank you very much Greg Turgeon to allow us to work on these awesome datas!

My processing workflow :

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- Dynamic crop of all layers to match each others

- ABE on LRVB & Hii layers DBE on Oiii layer cause after inspection of references picture on Internet i found it a little bit necessary

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COLOURS PROCESSING :

- Linear ATWT noise reduction on LRVBHO layers

- Linear fit of all layers based on L layer

- RVB combination with BG neutralization

- LRGB combination

- Masked strech of LRGB image

- Non linear ACDNR and SCNR noise reduction

- Saturation Curves transformation

- histogram transformation adjustment

- H&O layers log autohistogram

- H&O layers non linear ATWT noise reduction

- H&O starless layers integration in LRVB image with Pixelmath

- final adjustments of LRHVBO image in Photoshop (vibrance, saturation, levels)

*****

LUMINANCE PROCESSING :

- linear TGV and MMT noise reduction on initials LHO layers with inverted lightness masks

- linear fit based on L layer

- luminance LHO mixed with SHO-AIP script (screen mode) in order to get datas from LH and O layers in a super luminance

- light star size reduction (morphological selection)

- Log autohistogram

- Non linear ACDNR noise reduction with inverted lightness mask

- histogram transformation

- Local histogram equalization on the nebula bright parts with a proper mask in order to bring some micro-contrasts

- very soft unsharpmask on same parts

- very soft dark structure enhance

- final tweakings in Photoshop (levels, curves, local accentuations, final very soft noise reduction, final very soft star size reduction)

*****

- LHO luminance image mixed with LRHVBO colour image in Photoshop

- last tweakings

- Image 90° rotation cause i love it like this :-)

- title

I tried to keep natural aspect, according to this object and his environment caracteristics, but tried also to give it a personal touch.

I tried to preserve stars and nebula natural colors, to bring details without creating artefacts, and to give background Halpha and Oiii presence a nice and soft enhancement.

Hope you'll like it!

Thank you very much again Greg Turgeon for the courtesy and this contest idea, which gave us opportunity to process such fantastic datas!

Mathieu