M81_M82 Group from earlier in summer

[kirkster501]

Very difficult to process and keep the IFN with out blowing out everything else....  would really do with more data next year.

FSQ85 reduced and Moravian G2-8300 about 6 hours of integration with LRGB.

[kirkster501]

I think I need to do a masked stretch on this to tone the galaxies down a bit.  They are too dominant.

[kirkster501]

Just brought the galaxies down a little in brightness.

Edited October 11, 2019 by kirkster501

[wimvb]

The last one looks a lot better. Have you tried processing without trying to keep the ifn? Otherwise, assuming you use pixinsight, try multiscale hdr transform on the galaxies only. This will take their brightness down.

[kirkster501]

Here is another go.  I think this is lipstick on a pig.......   I need to go back to the beginning.  I'm almost there with it but not quite, I can't control the brightness of the galaxies and keep the IFN, and in order to keep the IFN I get weird stars.  I can't seem to converge on a solution for this image.  I tried M-HDR Wim but it was leaving weird artefacts.  I only use that on the luminance normally.  I think my master Lum is too bright and it is blowing everything away after LRGB combination. 

I Will have another go in the next few days.

Edited October 12, 2019 by kirkster501

[AKB]

This looks like great data. 

Are you just pushing too hard on contrast and saturation?

Just taking your JPEG and tweaking a little gives this:

 

...which may not be the effect you are looking for, but the IFN  features compare well with this image: Messier_81_-_82_group, which I understand was up for an APOD!

 

[kirkster501]

Thanks, I think I have got it, or somewhere near it... Lost the IFN a bit though