14 replies to this topic

[Kokatha man]

I must confess that I think it's usually slightly "bad form" to repost an image after just posting it in another thread recently, usually content to just post newer processings (if I have done so) down at the bottom of the thread where I know a minority of regulars will still look at them..!

 

However, as I went to the bother of re-processing each of the 5 captures we took on this particular night I thought it worthwhile to create another thread, if only because it'll likely be the last thread for quite some time from us: the only real difference is that I went down to 55% quality cut-off for the stacks which meant instead of the original 19,400 frames in toto in WJ I wound up with about 67,000 frames in the integrated stack.

 

I did upscale the 1.5x drizzles to 225% before putting them through AstraImage and unlike the first processings I did not "weight" the stacks in WJ when integrating them.

 

Capture details are naturally the same  where seeing was what I term "pedestrian" at 29° elevation with Mars at 9.3 arcseconds.

 

I feel slightly better with this outcome if only marginally but in hindsight quite satisfied because of the size and elevation of the planet, despite any misgivings about the seeing...and anything else I tend to grumble about! 

 

Slightly better (subtle) albedo variation with (slightly) better feature definition imho.

 

Here's the new processing with an added 200% scale image and for completeness a second image showing the new processing on the left and old one on the right for better comparison...

 

Also the short snippets of the feed of one capture from the start (ie, not quality-ordered) plus the feed after quality-ordering. I had to increase the canvass size and brightened the frames slightly for the quality feed. You might be able to just discern Tritonis S. and Nodus Alcyonus flickering in and out in the feed - these were used to determine optimum focus.

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

[Foc]

Good reprise!

[Spacedude4040]

Definitely worth the time and effort. Sometimes less is more 

Thanks for sharing the info.

Mike

[JMP]

Nicely done, Darryl! It always amazes me what you can pull out of "pedestrian" seeing!

[KMH]

That's a terrific result!  I think the revised processing does have noticeably better clarity and detail.

 

Kevin

[Space Cowboy]

Super detail Darryl considering Mars is now so small. Maybe its my monitor but the ice cap does look very bright?

[Mike Spooner]

More detail and less noise so definitely deserves its own thread.  

[Mitchell Duke]

Very nice effort!

[Kokatha man]

Thanks to everyone for comments & "Likes" - appreciated!

 

Super detail Darryl considering Mars is now so small. Maybe its my monitor but the ice cap does look very bright?

Top marks for scrutiny Stuart..!   

 

You actually picked up what I should have noticed & attended to in the first place - and something I have been guilty of at other times as well! 

 

Folks know that I deal with Mars "rind" with non-destructive dodge & burn...whereby I first create two separate images as single stacks then as WJ integrations which I label "SP" & "HP" - soft and hard processed.

 

Then I first attend to the rind in the "SP" image which then displays virtually no rind and shows the polar caps at an acceptable brightness - any sharpening can easily "blow out" these ice caps but the mild sharpening in these "SP's" are fine imo - although one can drop their brightness by some dodging of them, but this really isn't part of my schedule.

 

Then I simply use a "Layer Mask" of the "SP" over the "HP" image to ameliorate almost all of the rind* and this is where I sometimes forget to apply the mask to the polar cap - which is what I did here! 

 

*As I said earlier, WJ seems to ameliorate the rind by itself when the capture timespan is over longer durations (like this was) and the lower LD values I use. (0.77) Any rind left after the layer mask from the "SP" after merging the 2 layers can be fixed with a bit more "n-dd&b."

 

I've sorted it out a bit better now in the image below although I should have gone back to the start with the images straight out of WJ...but it will have to do now - but "thank you" regardless Stuart because I can overlook that step sometimes and it is frustrating to spend time and overlook something simple! 

 

[Kokatha man]

ps: another "mea culpa" in that the quality-ordered feed snippet has a frame cropped, or at least looks as though it does...the ROI that I used was tiny in AS! and I suspect this was the reason when taking screenshots and increasing the canvass size to show a colour feed... 

[Tulloch]

Great detail there Darryl, and rind has been well treated. I'm struggling with mine at the moment, no amount dodging, burning, layering or healing will fix it .

[Space Cowboy]

Thanks to everyone for comments & "Likes" - appreciated!

Top marks for scrutiny Stuart..!

You actually picked up what I should have noticed & attended to in the first place - and something I have been guilty of at other times as well!

Folks know that I deal with Mars "rind" with non-destructive dodge & burn...whereby I first create two separate images as single stacks then as WJ integrations which I label "SP" & "HP" - soft and hard processed.

Then I first attend to the rind in the "SP" image which then displays virtually no rind and shows the polar caps at an acceptable brightness - any sharpening can easily "blow out" these ice caps but the mild sharpening in these "SP's" are fine imo - although one can drop their brightness by some dodging of them, but this really isn't part of my schedule.

Then I simply use a "Layer Mask" of the "SP" over the "HP" image to ameliorate almost all of the rind* and this is where I sometimes forget to apply the mask to the polar cap - which is what I did here!

*As I said earlier, WJ seems to ameliorate the rind by itself when the capture timespan is over longer durations (like this was) and the lower LD values I use. (0.77) Any rind left after the layer mask from the "SP" after merging the 2 layers can be fixed with a bit more "n-dd&b."

I've sorted it out a bit better now in the image below although I should have gone back to the start with the images straight out of WJ...but it will have to do now - but "thank you" regardless Stuart because I can overlook that step sometimes and it is frustrating to spend time and overlook something simple!

mar2025-03-17_10-43_rgb_dpm-NEWEST.png

They look very nice Darryl. I always check the icecap first when I view a Martian image. It's like the yolk on a fried egg. Always like to see the yolk nicely basted and not over done. 👍

[Markp910]

I must confess that I think it's usually slightly "bad form" to repost an image after just posting it in another thread recently, usually content to just post newer processings (if I have done so) down at the bottom of the thread where I know a minority of regulars will still look at them..!

 

However, as I went to the bother of re-processing each of the 5 captures we took on this particular night I thought it worthwhile to create another thread, if only because it'll likely be the last thread for quite some time from us: the only real difference is that I went down to 55% quality cut-off for the stacks which meant instead of the original 19,400 frames in toto in WJ I wound up with about 67,000 frames in the integrated stack.

 

I did upscale the 1.5x drizzles to 225% before putting them through AstraImage and unlike the first processings I did not "weight" the stacks in WJ when integrating them.

 

Capture details are naturally the same  where seeing was what I term "pedestrian" at 29° elevation with Mars at 9.3 arcseconds.

 

I feel slightly better with this outcome if only marginally but in hindsight quite satisfied because of the size and elevation of the planet, despite any misgivings about the seeing...and anything else I tend to grumble about! 

 

Slightly better (subtle) albedo variation with (slightly) better feature definition imho.

 

Here's the new processing with an added 200% scale image and for completeness a second image showing the new processing on the left and old one on the right for better comparison...

 

Also the short snippets of the feed of one capture from the start (ie, not quality-ordered) plus the feed after quality-ordering. I had to increase the canvass size and brightened the frames slightly for the quality feed. You might be able to just discern Tritonis S. and Nodus Alcyonus flickering in and out in the feed - these were used to determine optimum focus.

 

mar2025-03-17_10-43_rgb_dpm-NEW.png

 

mar2025-03-17_10-43_rgb_dpm-NEW+OLDcomps2.png

 

2025-03-17-1106_8-FeedStart.gif      2025-03-17-1106_8-FeedQuality.gif

These are great

[azure1961p]

LOL, after viewing with my 4" frac, Kokomo, this is like NASA Imagery lol.  Excellent again.

 

Pete

[Kokatha man]

No runny yolks for you Stuart..?!?   Thanks also Mark and Pete - and to all the extra "Likes."