Quote:
Originally Posted by irwjager
Thanks Steven,
The difference between yours and mine is that yours would pass muster with the purists, whereas mine most likely won't.
The creation of a star mask with just the small stars is a somewhat subjective matter. The method, though highly automated, is not exact in its highlighting/masking of stars. The whole method described above is founded on principles of statistical probability and random distribution, but I cannot say for sure I am bringing to the fore only the galaxy's stars, nor can I guarantee I get all of them.
The method is good enough to approximate the galaxy's shape and star distribution. However, it is not a 100% accurate representation of reality. Then again, no image is...  |
If you check the histogram of the ESO image you will find it's clipped, so the data wasn't 100% to start with. That's not surprising as processed professional images for public consumption aren't necessarily any better than what an amateur can accomplish.
I wouldn't sell your efforts short. Your image is able to differentiate the galaxy from the foreground stars which is the ultimate objective.
Regards
Steven