Mineral Moon - attempt 2
Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 6:39 pm
Captured 14th May 2022 around 21:30 (30 minutes after sunset), 95% waxing moon at elevation 17°. The image is a 2-panel mosaic, processed with a variety of colour schemes. The dark areas are mineral rich containing titanium and iron. The darker area at 3 o'clock, The Sea of Tranquility, is particularly rich in titanium (best seen on the reddish image).
Equipment: Celestron AVX mount, Vixen 81s refractor, ZWO ASI 120MC, no filters used.
Capture: Sharpcap 4, SER, 1280x960, RGB24, gain=10, exposure= 2.5ms, 60s capture= 825 frames @ 13fps. The white balance for B and R were adjusted to ensure equal saturation of R, G and B. 2 panels were captured, the elapsed time for capture being around 3 minutes.
Processing: Autostakkert!3 stack best 25% of 825 frames with drizzle 1.5. Used the AS!3 _conv (sharpened) files (Registax is overkill for near full moons). Stitch panels with Microsoft Image Composite Editor. Process with GIMP 2.10 - Colors > Auto >White Balance, Colors > Auto > Color Enhance, Color Balance, Hue-Chroma, Hue-saturation, reduce by 50% and export as JPG. The application of colour was done by repeating the colour operations in small increments. Adjust to taste - artistic license!
A small test capture of 150 frames was taken and processed at the capture laptop to ensure the data collected was fit for purpose.
This is the histogram from SER Player showing high saturation and balanced colours (blue is normally weak).
Check out the NASA Mineral Moon https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagega ... e_819.html - a mosaic of 53 images recorded by the Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft as it passed by the moon in 1992.
Menno - thanks for the advice given with my previous attempt, I did work with your suggestions. Still work to be done with this topic but not bad for 3 minutes of capture.
Dave
Equipment: Celestron AVX mount, Vixen 81s refractor, ZWO ASI 120MC, no filters used.
Capture: Sharpcap 4, SER, 1280x960, RGB24, gain=10, exposure= 2.5ms, 60s capture= 825 frames @ 13fps. The white balance for B and R were adjusted to ensure equal saturation of R, G and B. 2 panels were captured, the elapsed time for capture being around 3 minutes.
Processing: Autostakkert!3 stack best 25% of 825 frames with drizzle 1.5. Used the AS!3 _conv (sharpened) files (Registax is overkill for near full moons). Stitch panels with Microsoft Image Composite Editor. Process with GIMP 2.10 - Colors > Auto >White Balance, Colors > Auto > Color Enhance, Color Balance, Hue-Chroma, Hue-saturation, reduce by 50% and export as JPG. The application of colour was done by repeating the colour operations in small increments. Adjust to taste - artistic license!
A small test capture of 150 frames was taken and processed at the capture laptop to ensure the data collected was fit for purpose.
This is the histogram from SER Player showing high saturation and balanced colours (blue is normally weak).
Check out the NASA Mineral Moon https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagega ... e_819.html - a mosaic of 53 images recorded by the Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft as it passed by the moon in 1992.
Menno - thanks for the advice given with my previous attempt, I did work with your suggestions. Still work to be done with this topic but not bad for 3 minutes of capture.
Dave