Moon images reprocessed

[EricB]

Hi there and Happy New Year to you all!

With a bit of time on my hand, I have done some reprocessing of Moon images I processed a few weeks ago. Although I was pretty happy with the result then, I decided to reprocess some images using AviStack 2, a processing program I had downloaded sometime ago and never used (I normally use Registax, Autostakkert or a combination of both). In addition I use GIMP 2.8 for cropping, levels and light unsharp mask or deconvolution [the latter through the GMIC plug-in).

What I did this time was to process my AVIs manually in AviStack 2, then enhance the stacked image in Astra Image and only use GIMP for cropping and levels.

To illustrate this, I have attached 3 images of crater Walter and surroundings: 1 the stacked image, 2 the image processed in Registax (and tweaked in GIMP), the image process in AviStack and enhanced in Astra Image.

Overall, I have found the AviStack + Astra Image the best combination. I find that AviStacks works well to process Moon AVIs (whereas I prefer Autostakkert for planetary). Astra Image has a powerful deconvolution suite of functions that brings out more finer details that any other sharpening program I have tried to date. Similar results are consistent across the 20 odd AVIs I have reprocessed so far.

Please note that I am only offering my honest opinion, based on my experience, and that I have no commercial or otherwise interest in any of the software I have mentioned.

Cheers,

Eric

[Sebbie]

Wow! Dramatic increase in sharpness and overall clarity Eric!

Love the way small craterlets seem to pop up out of nowhere..

What sort of adjustments do you perform in Astra Image?

[EricB]

That's what I though the first time I used it.

In Astra Image, under 'Process', I use 'Lucy Richardson Deconvolution': I choose the 'Moffat' point spread function type with the 'PSF size' varying between 0.50 and 2.50 depending on the image, the 'PSF wing adjustment' on 2.50, and 'Iterations' on around 10 with the 'Aggressive' box ticked.

As I have just got the program, I haven't had much time to 'play' with it.

Eric

[Larryp]

Nice, Eric!

[Shiraz]

excellent comparo and really good images Eric. thanks for posting.

[Scorpius51]

Well done Eric. Number 3 is a cracker!

[EricB]

Thank you.

Although it works well for the Moon and is very good at revealing hidden data out of my stacked Moon images, I haven't been so successful with Jupiter data which, I must point out, is not good at all. In Jupiter's case, Autostakkert has proven to be the better option.

Eric