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Horsehead Nebula – Two Versions
Here are two versions of a recent Horsehead composite image. The top one is an LRGB assembled (with major assistance from Bill McLaughlin and Al Kelly!), using the technique described by Bill in his tutorial at:
http://willmclaughlin.astrodigitals.com/tutorials/ps24.htm.
The second, lower one, is an RGB only version.
The above is an LRGB composite, with the individual L, R, G, and, B images background equalized in MaxIm. The RGB layer was then composed in MaxIm and both the RGB and the L layers converted to tif files. The tifs were opened in Photoshop and combined using layers. The RGB layer was smoothed with a Gaussian 2 pixel blur. Final adjusting of the contrast with curves was carried out and the image was flattened and saved.
This Horsehead is an RGB composite in AIP4Win, then brought into Photoshop for levels and curves, and finally smoothed with bgsmooth (5,50).
| Date | 2002-Feb-09 |
| Scope | Astro-Physics 130 f6 EDF on 1200 GTO with ST-4 guiding; Meade 416 XTE camera and 616 filter wheel |
| Exposure | L: 4x5min (not used in lower image) ; R: 3x5min; G: 3x5min; B: 3x7.5min (Meade filter set) |
| Processing |
Colors registered and combined in AIP4Win; RGB for the LRGB image (upper) combined in MaxIm; for the RGB image (lower) combined in AIP4Win. Stretched (with Curves) in Photoshop; lower (RGB) image smoothed with bigsmooth. |