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Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ

Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ

Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data

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Description

Like many folks, I am spellbound by the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that were released on July 11/12, 2022.  When I heard that the data would be made publicly available, I decided to download the images and apply the processing techniques I use for my deep space astro images to generate my own take on these iconic images.  So, this is my take on processing of JWST data for the Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132).

Processing steps:
1 - Imported FITS files into PixInsight.  
2 - Aligned images using Staralingment process
3 - Processed using my usual narrowband processing approach that uses the SHO-AIP script to generate color images.
4 - Post-processing steps included: MLT for noise reduction, masked stretch for the initial stretch, Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch (GHS2) for fine tuning of the stretch, curves transformation, TGV denoise process, HDR transformation, and local histogram transformation.

The data was downloaded NIRCam data from the MAST archive at: https://mast.stsci.edu/portal/Mashup/Clients/Mast/Portal.html.  There were six images available with NIRCam short and long wavelength filter data available on the MAST archive:
> F090W
> F187N
> F212N
> F356W
> F405n-F444w
> F444w-F470n
 A great description of all the NIRCam filters can be found out:  https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-near-infrared-camera
Per that link, the filter nomeclature is as follows:  "The 29 [url=conf-macro output-inline=https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-near-infrared-camera/nircam-instrumentation/nircam-filters]NIRCam filters[/url] have names "Fnnnx" where "nnn" refers to the central wavelength (e.g., 220 for 2.20 µm) and "x" refers to the filter width: "W2" for extra-wide (R ~ 1), "W" for wide (R ~ 4), "M" for medium (R ~ 10) and "N" for narrowband (R ~ 100)."

Original color image:
The first image I generated was an attempt to create something like the publicly released NIRCam Southern Ring Nebula image (see: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2022/033/01G70Q10ATNZ3W0Z7MPVD9D4BE?page=2&filterUUID=91dfa083-c258-4f9f-bef1-8f40c26f4c97).  The NASA version of this image used data from all six filter images and the 'compass' version of the image shows the color palette they used  starting with red from the F405N/470N data, green from the F212N data, yellow from the F356W data, and Light Blue/Blue from the F90W/F187N data.  My version of this image used the following color palette:
>Red = F444W-F470N
>Green = F212N
>Blue = F090W, F187N average (these two images were pretty similar, so I averaged them in Pixinsight using the pixelmath process)

Revision B color image: 
>Red = F090W, F187N average
>Green = F212N
>Blue = F444W-F470N

Processed versions of Individual filter images used to generate color images:
> F090W, F187N average
> F212N
> F444W-F470N


Acknowledgement:
”The Early Release Observations and associated materials were developed, executed, and compiled by the ERO production team:  Hannah Braun, Claire Blome, Matthew Brown, Margaret Carruthers, Dan Coe, Joseph DePasquale, Nestor Espinoza, Macarena Garcia Marin, Karl Gordon, Alaina Henry, Leah Hustak, Andi James, Ann Jenkins, Anton Koekemoer, Stephanie LaMassa, David Law, Alexandra Lockwood, Amaya Moro-Martin, Susan Mullally, Alyssa Pagan, Dani Player, Klaus Pontoppidan, Charles Proffitt, Christine Pulliam, Leah Ramsay, Swara Ravindranath, Neill Reid, Massimo Robberto, Elena Sabbi, Leonardo Ubeda. The EROs were also made possible by the foundational efforts and support from the JWST instruments, STScI planning and scheduling, and Data Management teams."
Reference: https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/approved-programs/webb-first-image-observations

Comments

Revisions

  • Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ
    Original
  • Final
    Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ
    B
  • Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ
    C
  • Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ
    D
  • Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ
    E

C

Title: F90W, F187N average

Uploaded: ...

D

Title: F212N

Uploaded: ...

E

Title: F444W-F470N

Uploaded: ...

Histogram

Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) - JWST NIRCam Data, JDJ

In these collections

Processed JWST Data