Enhancing your Martian images with a colour webcam

[MrEd]

Hi All Here is a guide to enhance your colour matian images.

This is a simple way to get better images.

Feel free to use it and help your freinds.

I hope it helps.

Ed

please dont forget to credit me when distibuting the guide

(Unlike a certain Astronomical retailer!!!!)

[MrEd]

This is a short guide intended to assist colour imagers on a budget to enhance Mars

and its features.

Capturing

The first thing to do is remove the webcam lense and attach the 1.25 nosepiece first

Then attach your IR/UV block filter to your webcam.

Mark your Barlow and camera with a marker.

see image below

Aquire your image and attach your Barlow.

Capture 1500 to 2000 frames.

Next remove your IR/UV block and attach a W21 orange filter.

Align the camera and Barlow with the pre marked lines.

Capture 1000 to 1500 frames with the orange filter.

Registax

I will not go into the procedures of Registax for you guys needless to say

I will assume most of you know how to use it.

You should be left with the following….

[MrEd]

Mars IR block

and

Mars W21

[MrEd]

Load your version of Photoshop or equivalent.

1

Select both images.

Choose the ‘Rectangular marquee tool’ (labeled 1)

Draw a square around the IR block image as above

Select ‘file – copy.

See below

[MrEd]

2 Now you have your square around the planet

click on the W21 orange image and select ‘File –Paste’ (labeled 1)

The IR block image will super impose over the W21 image.(labeled 2)

Select difference on the layers tab (labeled 3)

Select the move tool (labeled 4) and align both images over each other.

The less features visible the better aligned it is.

See image below.

[MrEd]

3

Once aligned select colour on the layer tab (labeled 1) the result should appear.

See below

[MrEd]

4

Now select the layers menu (labeled 1)

And select flatten image (labeled 2). The image is now flattened and ready.

Finally select ‘file – Save as - then give your image a name and save as a .bmp

[MrEd]

If all went well you should have a much more detailed image

Please compare to Mars IR Block.

[MrEd]

Thats it ....

i hope it at least assists a few of you guys.

Many thanks to Helen and jamie.

regards

Ed

[Rob]

Thats great. Being a novice here.. do you leave the Webcam lens on, then insert the webcam into the barlow with a home made adapter?

Rob

[MrEd]

Modified post #2 for you Rob

Ed

[Rob]

Ahh.. nice one, thanks. I'm no imager and I know others that want to get started may have asked the same thing!.

Takes a good image thats for sure.

Rob

[beamish]

Thats very helpful MrED, and may I say a loverlee picture of the warrior planet!

Karlo

[legion48]

Next remove your IR/UV block and attach a W21 orange filter.

Align the camera and Barlow with the pre marked lines....

MrEd, what is the reason for pre marking and then realigning with the marks when changing filters?

[MrEd]

The features on the disk will be

out of phase and will not line up properly if you

do not do it this way.

It can be corrected in processing but i thought i would

spare you all the pain.

Hope that helps

Ed