Ic405

[Rodd]

Sometimes it pays to be creative. In this image, I added a lightness channel (luminance) from a SHO image to an RGB image.  The RGB has about 9 hours of data.  It was just an experiment. I think it was pretty convincingly a success.

”L”RGB

Original RGB

[symmetal]

Yes, it certainly makes a difference. Impressive result. Have you tried just adding the Ha as the L channel. It should be less noisy than the SHO derived L, although it doesn't appear to have added noise to your image. The Oiii in your L may have improved the detail in the Blue structures, so maybe you made the right choice. 🙂

Alan

[Rodd]

58 minutes ago, symmetal said:

Yes, it certainly makes a difference. Impressive result. Have you tried just adding the Ha as the L channel. It should be less noisy than the SHO derived L, although it doesn't appear to have added noise to your image. The Oiii in your L may have improved the detail in the Blue structures, so maybe you made the right choice. 🙂

Alan

Yes. The first thing I tried was adding the Ha. It adds detail, but It turns the image light pink.  That tends to happen when you use Ha as a luminance (or lightness).  I guess I could have added it to the red channel like typically done. Maybe I should try that AND what I did. 

[ollypenrice]

Very good separation of the reflection nebulosity.

Olly

[Rodd]

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

Very good separation of the reflection nebulosity.

Olly

Thanks, Olly. I really need more blue, but time slipped away. Lately (for the last 6 months) I have been averaging about a day/month. It’s terminally overcast. 

[gorann]

Really nice! Getting that blue out in this object is a challenge! Using Ha as Lum, as suggested, is usually a bad idea and as you say it turns everything salmon coloured, In this case it would really suppress your blue signal.

[Rodd]

1 hour ago, gorann said:

Really nice! Getting that blue out in this object is a challenge! Using Ha as Lum, as suggested, is usually a bad idea and as you say it turns everything salmon coloured, In this case it would really suppress your blue signal.

Thanks, Goran.  The lightness channel of the SHO image worked well--and I used an extracted blue channel as a mask to protect the reflection nebula, so it wouldn't be diluted.  I was pleasantly surprised.