25 replies to this topic

[acrh2]

So it's been almost two months w/o clear skies, and I was going through old data.

How do I edit out this sob and replace it with something easier on the eyes?

I tried a few things in Gimp and Startools, and it looked bad.

Any ideas?

 

[Oort Cloud]

I say shine on, you crazy little diamond

 

[Avgvstvs]

Lovely and blue! How can you not like it? 

[clusterbuster]

arch2,

 That image is outstanding !!!

 Mark

[acrh2]

I say shine on, you crazy little diamond

 

I feel like it wore out its welcome with random precision though.

[17.5Dob]

Twinkle Twinkle

[calypsob]

there appears to be a filter reflection, did you use an lp filter?

[acrh2]

there appears to be a filter reflection, did you use an lp filter?

Yeah, it's a halo from L-eNhance. Usually not a problem, but this thing is a monster.

[gene 4181]

    I think it looks really good , very nicely done

[Mike in Rancho]

Well, you're a bit high on the saturation maybe?  Personal preference, I totally understand, but that kind of comes with it.  The horsey and wall behind it I actually like.  But the flame and all the other stars seem to be blown.

 

A different AutoDev with ROI might help.  Less saturation.  Adjust the three saturation controls to see if you can still keep your big red wall while taming the blue halo.  Filter-fringe kill on the blue.  Or alternatively, come in weaker and then Filter-saturate Ha for the red.  Likewise, you can also come in weaker and then use SS saturate preset to just boost the super structures.  Presumably that would exclude the stars, but I dunno, your take on Alnitak might actually qualify as a super structure. 

[Jim Waters]

My version.  Bortle 8+ site.  Processed with PixInsight.

 

Horsehead and Flame Nebula - Bortle 8+ Site by Jim Waters, on Flickr

Edited by Jim Waters, 27 January 2022 - 12:28 AM.

[Wildetelescope]

Evolution of the image.  Taken with TV102, Baader semi-apo filter for light pollution, and QHY 268C.   90 second subs, 3 hours integration time.

 

First cut with Startools

Next effort with Pixinsight.  Irritating pink star cores

Current version, with PI.  Still a lot of things to fuss with, but getting there.

 

 

Biggest issue now is more integration time and probably lower sub exposure time to try to reduce those spikes. It is always something:-)

 

 The OP's image has some really nice data for the nebula.  

 

JMD

[Astrojensen]

It's Alnitak, that makes the Horsehead visible in the first place, so...

 

 

Clear Skies!

Thomas, Denmark

[acrh2]

Evolution of the image.  Taken with TV102, Baader semi-apo filter for light pollution, and QHY 268C.   90 second subs, 3 hours integration time.
 
First cut with Startools
 
Next effort with Pixinsight.  Irritating pink star cores
 
Current version, with PI.  Still a lot of things to fuss with, but getting there.
 
 
 
Biggest issue now is more integration time and probably lower sub exposure time to try to reduce those spikes. It is always something:-)
 
 The OP's image has some really nice data for the nebula.  
 
JMD

Can you post an original version of the last pic? Cause I'm thinking, I cut yours off, put in mine.

Edited by acrh2, 27 January 2022 - 12:55 AM.

[Oort Cloud]

It's Alnitak, that makes the Horsehead visible in the first place, so...


Clear Skies!
Thomas, Denmark

Actually, Alnitak is in the foreground illuminating the flame. The horsey (technically IC434, directly behind the horsey) is in the background, being illuminated by Sigma Orionis, a quintuple star system (although most pics I've seen only show 1 or 2 of them after stretching).

[MarMax]

Yep, it's Alnitak. I was wondering what my cable management solution looked like . . . lol.

 

Edited by MarMax, 27 January 2022 - 02:04 AM.

[imtl]

I don't see the problem. According to some conspirators you actually resolved Alnitak's disk! I can even see an Alnitak spot! (sun spot). Well done! 

[licho52]

It's the filter, try the new Antlia Dual-Band, it doesn't have the halo problem that the dual band Optolongs suffer from.

[Tim J Fowler]

That's a lovely image, but I agree to some degree with others that Alnitak is a part of the bigger picture. It's the reason we're seeing some of what we see, but the overall saturation certainly adds to it's distraction. I hope you don't mind, but I took your posted image and selectively desaturated Alnitak's halo, but there is still a little ring artifact (maybe from your filter?)...and with a little artistic license, changed the hue of the Flame (personal preference). I also gave your image a curve bump which brought out more of the lovely dark dust below the Horsie that you captured. I'd love to see your stacked output file just to see if there's anything else that can be done for Alnitak. I'm planning on capturing the same target soon (weather/work permitting) so it would give me great practice. Forgive me if I overstepped the boundaries of good taste, but again, that's a really nice image.

Attached Thumbnails

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[Exaudio]

Problem stars?  Just stick some diffraction spikes on there...

 

 

[ChiTownXring]

Alnitak the Image Killer Strikes Again.. 

[unimatrix0]

Can't blame Alnitak, it's only 283,000,000 x brighter than our own sun, and it's actually a rare O-class type star a blue supergiant. 

Alnitak: 
- No filter can handle me. Just deal with it.. 
 

Here is mine, I call it unfinished, I wish to add more subs

Edited by unimatrix0, 28 January 2022 - 02:14 PM.

[tianzi9088]

I say crop it out.

 

[72Nova]

I say let it shine on…my first attempt and I didn’t try to tame Alnitak at all.

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[*skyguy*]

It's a quick and easy fix using Photoshop ....

 

"Grab" the central core only of Alnitak, "Copy" it back onto image for storage (latter use). "Lasso" Alnitak and all the surrounding spikes ... use "Fill" with Content Aware option to remove Alnitak which replaces the star with extrapolated data from the surrounding area. Grab the stored Alnitak image and place it back in it's proper position and blur it slightly using Gaussian Blur. All that's left is to touch-up the area surrounding Alnitak  (mostly out of place stars erroneously duplicated during the Content Aware process) using the "Spot Healing Brush Tool". "Flatten" image ... Done!

 

Is this taking too much of an "artistic license" on this image? 

 

Edited by *skyguy*, 28 January 2022 - 04:41 PM.