Dark Nebula processing help: Lum from CCD and RBG from DSLR

[tooth_dr]

@Xiga I linked all those files from dropbox.  I attached all the light, some at the beginning and end of the session are affected by daylight so you may not want to use them.

[gorann]

I had a go using your two files in the first posting and started by star aligning them in PI. Most of the rest was done in PS including the stretching which I did carefully in many small iterations and every time masking the brightest areas so I think I succeded protecting the stars quite well.

Thanks Adam. Good fun while waiting for clear skies!

[gorann]

After posting I noticed what looks like red gradient patches that I removed by selective use of Gradient Exterminator in PS, so here is a cleaner version. Still need some minor cropping at the edges.

[tooth_dr]

@gorann you don’t know much I appreciate you using your time to process this data. That’s a very accomplished image and I’ve placed both side by side to study in detail all the improvements you have made. 

[gorann]

Just now, tooth_dr said:

@gorann you don’t know much I appreciate you using your time to process this data. That’s a very accomplished image and I’ve placed both side by side to study in detail all the improvements you have made. 

Thanks Adam, all my pleasure! If you are using PS then protecting stars can be done by using the Select Color Range tool for the stars and invert the selection before each stretch (and select again rather than reselect every time). Have to walk the dog now and then off to bed.

[Xiga]

Here's my take. 

I stacked 18 of the lights and excluded the 3 600s ones, and also Lights 9, 10, 11, 12, 23, and 24 from the 900s ones. I've attached links below to the registered and aligned Ha and Colour stacks. 

All processing done in PS. I normally use APP to do the initial stretching, but in this case i wanted to keep the stars as small as possible, so i stretched both files manually.

The data is excellent, thanks for letting me play with it Adam! 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhhWC3D3zU7Bnj_kP076L_2m8s32

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhhWC3D3zU7Bnj7NwUC8rPl2h144

[tooth_dr]

2 hours ago, Xiga said:

Here's my take. 

I stacked 18 of the lights and excluded the 3 600s ones, and also Lights 9, 10, 11, 12, 23, and 24 from the 900s ones. I've attached links below to the registered and aligned Ha and Colour stacks. 

All processing done in PS. I normally use APP to do the initial stretching, but in this case i wanted to keep the stars as small as possible, so i stretched both files manually.

The data is excellent, thanks for letting me play with it Adam! 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhhWC3D3zU7Bnj_kP076L_2m8s32

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhhWC3D3zU7Bnj7NwUC8rPl2h144

Thanks Ciarán! You must be an early riser ? I really really appreciate you taking time to work with my data.  I have a lot to learn 

[Xiga]

15 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

Thanks Ciarán! You must be an early riser ? I really really appreciate you taking time to work with my data.  I have a lot to learn 

Lol, yeah i was up early this morning so figured i'd have a sneaky quick go!

Have had a further play this evening. Think this one has come out better.

ps - For a long time i thought the blue towards the left of the image was a gradient, or perhaps that i just hadn't neutralized the background properly, but if the Iris is nearby then i guess it's entirely possible that it is supposed to be blue, so i didn't try and kill it in processing. Of course it's just a guess so i could be totally wrong on that one!