Avoid distortion while processing by taking the stars out of the picture with free software
A strophotography processing is all about the art of data control and getting the right balance between stretching data to tease out details, without going too far and 'clipping' it. Once the data is overstretched, delicate details are lost, or the image becomes noisy.
Stars are one major obstacle during processing. They limit the extent to which data can be enhanced, as they distort or become bloated. This reduces the desired 'natural' appearance for deep-sky images. Software that can remove stars therefore allows the user to work on all the delicate details, without being hindered by stars. One example is the free software StarNet++. Originally developed as a PixInsight module, it's now available as a standalone program via www.starnetastro.com/download. StarNet++ is compatible with both CCD and DSLR data, and so a popular choice for most astrophotographer toolkits.
Version 2 of the software was released early 2022 and includes a handy graphical user interface (GUI) that makes it more intuitive. This is the version we used to process our image of the Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405). Here we will go through the steps we took to remove the stars using StarNet++ and then use Photoshop to recover a 'stars-only' file which we could reapply to our fully processed nebula at the end.
Takeaway time
Bu hikaye BBC Sky at Night Magazine dergisinin October 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye BBC Sky at Night Magazine dergisinin October 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Could We Find Aliens by Looking for Their Solar Panels?- Designed to reflect ultraviolet and infrared, the panels have a unique fingerprint
Researchers searching for life beyond Earth spend a lot of time thinking about what telltale signs might be detectable astronomically. Forms of unambiguous evidence for the presence of life on another world are known as biosignatures. By extension, techno signatures are indicators of activity by intelligent, civilisation-building life.
Antimatter- In our continuing series, Govert Schilling looks at antimatter, the strange counterpart to most of the matter filling our Universe
Particles and corresponding antiparticles are very much alike, except they have opposite electrical charges. For instance, the antiparticle of the electron - known as the positron - has the same tiny mass, but while electrons carry a negative electrical charge, positrons are positively charged.
Where Have All The Milky Way's Early Stars Gone?- Our Galaxy has a curious lack of pristine stars
The Big Bang produced a Universe filled almost exclusively with hydrogen and helium; all other elements - what astronomers call metals - were produced by stars, supernovae and everything that happens later. So if you can pick out a pristine star with no metals polluting it from among the billions in the Milky Way, then you are likely to have a star dating from our Galaxy's earliest days.
Inside The Sky At Night - Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST
Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST. In July's Sky at Night, we discovered what she's learned since then.
How to stack DSLR data in Siril
Easily combine multiple frames to boost detailin your astro photos
Lunar occultation of Saturn
You'll need to strike a balance on 21 August to capture the Moon covering the ringed planet
How to plot a variable star light curve
A rewarding project to chart stars that change brightness
Smartphone photography with a telescope
Mary Mcintyre explains how to get impressive night-sky images using your phone
Once-a-century solar storm is overdue
If a Carrington Event struck today it would be catastrophic, says Minna Palmroth
The new era of human spaceflight
There's been a step-change in crewed space missions since the dawn of the 21st century. Ben Evans charts its course and looks ahead to future horizons
