Andromeda galaxy

[andyo]

Hi been a while since I have posted as not had great skies. This was taken over a few nights in October and I wasn't sure the chip of the Atik 460ex would be big enough but I think I just about get away with it. 

Difficullt to process due to its bright core. Hope you enjoy it and any constructive comments are very welcome 

 

[Charic]

That's just a great image whatever issues you have!
By contrast, that little bluish silvery patch close to the screen edge in roughly the 4 o'clock position is about as good as M31 gets visually from my back yard, what with the street lights, but away from home, I need my 70° eyepiece 
 

[Saganite]

 

Hi Andy,

I am not into Astro photography,yet,so I would not pass comment, other than  that looks pretty damn good to me, well done 

[John Baker]

lovely...

[Stub Mandrel]

Lovely colours and detail, but is it a tad over-sharpened? Some of the stares seem, to have dark haloes.

[andyo]

6 hours ago, Charic said:

That's just a great image whatever issues you have!
By contrast, that little bluish silvery patch close to the screen edge in roughly the 4 o'clock position is about as good as M31 gets visually from my back yard, what with the street lights, but away from home, I need my 70° eyepiece 
 

Thanks Charic

6 hours ago, Saganite said:

 

Hi Andy,

I am not into Astro photography,yet,so I would not pass comment, other than  that looks pretty damn good to me, well done 

Thanks Saginite

5 hours ago, John Baker said:

lovely...

Thanks John

5 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Lovely colours and detail, but is it a tad over-sharpened? Some of the stares seem, to have dark haloes.

Thanks Neil

I sharpened it in photoshop using the high pass filter with an inverted mask and also a star mask layered above. I then used the brush tool to highlight the parts i wanted sharpening so the stars should not have been affected with the sharpening. I think the halos around the stars where created when I used a magenta colour mask in PI and then reduced the magenta saturation using the colour saturation tool. This was to reduce the garish magenta halos I had around the stars however the colour mask script is not a process I am overfamiliar with so I had to compromise with the grey halos.