M13 is an end of season object at my latitude. M13 is quite easy to capture with a short amount of time, but last year I managed to go a bit deeper than I had previously .
Early this year I came across a new image stretching script in PixInsight called Generalised Hyperbolic Stretch and I decided to give it a go on this M13 data and see its effect. Generalised Hyperbolic Stretch is a method that givew more control of the way data is stretched, with more control but also more degrees of freedom, so it takes some time to get the hang of it.
I have stretched this image quite hard using GHS to show the full extent of the globular cluster while retaining core details like the propeller (at the one o'clock position). Various operations were performed after GHS, including brightness distribution manipulaton of the core area (while retaining the fact that the core is brighter than the outer regions).
I have written about GHS in comparison to masked stretch, histogram transformation and arcsinh stretching here:
https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/387548-pixinsight-improved-image-stretching/?do=findComment&comment=4191895In my view it is a very useful tool on the PI workbench.
Today, version 2.0 of this script has gone live, with better real-time feedback and a website to support its use:
https://ghsastro.co.uk/P.S: I am in no way involved in the development of the algorithms or the programming of the script. Just a happy user.
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