Title: Reprocess for better stars and color balance
Description:
Reworking my approach to HaLRHaGB images. In the past, I've done simple PixelMath blending of the R and Ha channels, which usually leaves my combined RGB image with small Red channel stars, suffering from unsightly blue/green bloat that's impossible to ameliorate later on. Here, I've used StarXterminator on my linear R & Ha channels, combined the starless data, and added back the R broadband stars, for a much more natural color balance in my stars.
The underlying data here is suffering from some eccentric stars, due to tilt issues that I hadn't completely fixed at the time, and some haloing of bright stars in the Green channel (Astronomik is in the process of replacing my Green broadband filter). Nevertheless, I think my processing here is much more natural than my first attempt (a little less overwhelmingly red), with better star size, shapes, and saturation, as well as better background color balance.
If astrophotography is good for one thing, it's keeping you humble. There's always room for improvement.
Comments, critique, and pointers always appreciated!
Uploaded: ...
Comments