2020.11.13 – Soul Nebula
Gear
- Telescope – Meades 70mm Series 6000 Refractor
- Main Camera – ZWO ASI294MC Pro
- Filter – Optolong 2″ L-Enhance
- Mount – HEQ5
- Guide Scope – ZWO 30mm f/4 mini guide scope
- Guide Camera – ZWO ASI290MM
- Controller – ZWO ASIAir Pro
Acquisition
- 47 Light Images at 120 gain, 300s exposure
- 30 Dark Images
- 200 Bias Images
- 62 Flats
The Soul Nebula. AKA LBN 667. AKA SH2-199. An emission nebula to be around 7500 light years away.
For some reason it took me 4 tries processing this image. The first attempt I over adjusted on the curves. Everything that followed after the over curve adjustments resulted in a flushed, cloudy mess. I just wasn’t satisfied with the results I was getting on my second and third attempt processing.
On the fourth attempt I adjusted the curves for red, green, and blue individually. That really helped in keeping all 3 colors under control. The red is still a bit dominate using the L-Enhance but it’s not as bad as my first attempt which I will keep un-posted and maybe trash.
Another change in my current process is I minimized stars before I did some adjustments using Camera Raw Filter. In Camera Raw Filter I do some noise reduction and slight curve adjustments. I like the slight touches and results when doing changes in that filter.
Processing Steps in Photoshop:
- Color Balance
- Individual red, green, blue curve adjustments
- Gradient correction using GradientXTerminator
- Saturation Boost
- Vibrance Boost
- Noise Reduction using Astronomy tool – Space Noise Reduction action
- Noise Reduction using Astronomy tool – Deep Space Noise Reduction action
- Sharpening
- Minimized stars in Photoshop, 2 rounds
- Minimized stars using Astronomy tool – Make Stars Smaller action
- Noise reduction and curve adjustment in Camera Raw Filter
- Astronomy tool – Enhanced DSO and Reduce Stars action
- Astronomy tool – Less Crunchy More Fuzzy
- Smart Sharpen filter
- Luminosity overlay
Even the gods, if they exist, must laugh from time to time. Perhaps what we call tragedy is merely comedy from a higher perspective, a joke we are too caught up in to understand. Maybe the wisest among us are not the ones who take life the most seriously, but those who can laugh at its absurdity and find joy even in the darkest moments.