M45 Feedback Appreciated

[JCIdaho]

Hi All,

This is my third go at M45. I'm going a bit blind looking at it! I'd really appreciate any feedback. My PixInsight process:

R G B -> DBE, BX, LinearFit, ChannelCombination, BackgroundNeutralisation, HistogramTransformation

L -> DBE, BX, HistogramTransformation

LRGBCombination

EZ Denoise

HistogramTransformation

RangeSelection Mask, then CurvesTransformation, increase saturation, make the background darker. More Curves work to try and make the blue pop out.

XISF is here if anyone fancies poking about: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1an-M2oCxnTdO1diHoSP71UT143wgRG7K?usp=share_link

thank you.

 

 

 

[AstroMuni]

13 hours ago, JCIdaho said:

I'm going a bit blind looking at it! I'd really appreciate any feedback.

Thats a great image!

Not sure if its just my screen or does the bottom right half have a magenta tinge?

[StevieDvd]

I downloaded your file to see if it was linear and if I could process it to show such a nice image as you posted as I'm still learning PixInsight.

All I did however, as the image had been strecthed was to image solve it using the imagesolver script. That was so I could then run the PhotometricColorCalibration to see if that made the colour nearer to the blue you were looking for. I had to set the  Saturation threshold from 0..75 up to 1.0 to get it to work. That takes just a couple of minutes, so you can repeat that easily and tweak as you feel fit.

However, as I have BlurXTerminator (BXT) installed I ran that as well but as per the results below is less sharp and you may prefer without BXT

Solve & PCC (no BXT)

 

With BXT

 

Bear in mind my processing skills are still kindergarten level.

 

 

[Adam J]

On 20/02/2023 at 20:17, JCIdaho said:

Hi All,

This is my third go at M45. I'm going a bit blind looking at it! I'd really appreciate any feedback. My PixInsight process:

R G B -> DBE, BX, LinearFit, ChannelCombination, BackgroundNeutralisation, HistogramTransformation

L -> DBE, BX, HistogramTransformation

LRGBCombination

EZ Denoise

HistogramTransformation

RangeSelection Mask, then CurvesTransformation, increase saturation, make the background darker. More Curves work to try and make the blue pop out.

XISF is here if anyone fancies poking about: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1an-M2oCxnTdO1diHoSP71UT143wgRG7K?usp=share_link

thank you.

 

 

Great image, only comment is that I think you have pushed the blue channel too far and that you need a touch more green, but only a touch. 

Adam

[JCIdaho]

Thank you all for the feedback. I'll have a continued play with it. I didn't apply PCC, and that has made a difference. Thanks!