Crater Autolycus and Rimae Fresnel

[Gerr]

Just started doing some Lunar Imaging with the Zwo ASI 462MC and IR Pass filter on HEQ5 Mount.

I was using my big scope: SW 200P Reflector and joined the camera up with my newly acquired Televue Powermate x2.5 zoom Barlow.

Hoping to get some shadows in craters next to the meridian on this waxing Moon in reasonable detail.

I managed 1800 frames (50 fps down to 13 fps as buffer filled up) using Firecapture and USB3 cable (3 meters).

This was whittled down to 690 useable frames for stacking on Avistack2.

I then used Astra Image Deconvolution algorithms as a photoshop plug in with some additional sharpening and camera raw adjustments too on the final stacked image from Avistack (saved as 16bit TIFF).

Uploaded as a JPEG for you all to view and give constructive criticisms!!??

I think the above technique is the right way forward (frame rate and volume of images needs to improve for one thing I reckon!).

What do you say??

 

[astrolulu]

Hi, if you expect honest criticism then let me tell you what comes to my mind first. Well, I would definitely use Photoshop filters more sparingly. It is worth using them only to such an extent as to improve the photo while maintaining its natural character. It is not good when we see from a distance that the image has been processed by filters, because then they become the subject of the photo, more important than the object itself.

[Marvin Jenkins]

Can anyone see the Honey Monster?

[Astrophysical Graffiti]

This and the other image I commented on have the makings of good images. I do see a couple of things I would personally do differently. First, your image would be helped tremendously by raising the black point until the blacks were actually black or very nearly so. Second, you have gone pretty heavy on the noise reduction, given the flat regions a kind of plastic look. A little pixel level grain in a lunar image never hurt anybody and gives the image a more realistic feeling, as it provides a natural sort of dithering beyond the 8 bits that most of our displays are capable of showing. If the noise bothers you when you pixel peep, then reduce it sparingly, or if possible, just don't pixel peep. :O)