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CCD Imaging Primer |
| Imaging Made Easy and Fun! |
| Processing MX5 Monochrome Images |
Our example for monochrome processing is M27. There are forty 30-second images. Processing consists of the following procedure:
1. Use the MaxIm "Combine Files" feature to combine the 40 frames. You can choose either "Fully Automatic" or the "Manual with Centroid" option. In AstroArt, use the "Pre-Processing" option from the "Tools" menu.
2. Use the MaxIm "Histogram" Window (pictured below) to tweak the background level (move the red pointer). (Experiment with both red and green pointers to familiarize yourself with their function!)
3. Use the MaxIm "Resize" feature and check "Make Pixels Square" option. The "New Image Size" should now show as a width of 500 and a height of 373 (or 779x580 for MX7/9 images). Alternatively, you can click the "No Constraint" option and manually type in the width and height for the new image size. (Note: you may have either 580 or 582 rows in your raw image depending on the software and camera interface you are using.)
To use the AstroArt "Resize" feature, choose "MX5" from the scaling box (or "MX9" for MX7/9 images). The proper image size should be displayed.
4. Use the MaxIm "Stretch" feature to prepare the image for export. Usually you will export as 8-bit. In AstroArt, just choose File/Export/JPG, and click the Save button.
For nebulae and galaxies, the selections highlighted in yellow below work well.
For globular clusters try a Permanent Stretch Type of "Gamma" with a value of about 3 (experiment!) and an Input Range of "Max Pixel".
Try clicking on various combinations of these selections and see how it affects the Preview Image! Experimenting can be fun. Then just use the settings you think give the most pleasing image by pressing the OK button.
5. Convert to JPEG using a 70% Quality factor or whatever level of compression you think is appropriate (experiment!).
You can see the final image in all its glory by clicking here.