[RCC] Orion Nebula Requests for constructive critique · akshay87kumar · ... · 8 · 586 · 3

I prefer the more traditional color palette where the nebula is mostly red and blue. And maybe a bit less denoising.
The stars can also be addressed, but I would focus on the colors first

I also like the traditional colours frmo my OSC 294MC Pro and L extreme filters more at this time. Given my limited competency in processing, I was trying to play around with Narrowband Normalization, but didnt get any satisfactory results. The result I posted above was from narrowband normalization. Also posting the traditional colour here below, please do let me know how to improve further.

1. Dynamic background extraction
2. Starless and star separation (StarNet)
3. NoiseXterminator (Will try to be less aggressive, habitual offender of using default setting)
4. SetiAstro Statistical stretch (0.10 mean, ~half way through stretch curves, linked stretch)
5. Image 1 = Outcome frmo Step 4. Image 2 = Outcome of running HDR Multiscale transformation (with overdrive ~0.35). Pixel Math for Image 3 = (Image 1 + Image 2)/2 which i took further for processing
6. Created luminance layer frmo Image 3. Stretched it further to create a mask (to the extent the core is masked ~0.90% and darker areas are not masked)
7. Generalized hyperbolic stretch on step 6 to keep breaking the steep peaks until it is smoothened out. Probably this is where I overstretched the data to the extent lot of noise shows up? 
7.5 - I dont remember if i missed taking out the mask or something - I played around with curves and saturation. The running man nebula got a weird colour finally as an outcome!!
8. Now this is where I did narrowband normalization and created the faux palette with miserable colours!
9. Star stretch on star mask
10. Pixel maths to get back star and starless images. Given the bright core and bright (already saturated from Lextreme exposures) stars, this was difficult. Used ChatGPT recommendations and this one was relatively better: 1 - ((1 - starless) * (1 - stars^0.6)). ChatGPT says this is Controlled Screen with Highlight Suppression.

One more pass at the image with few more hours of data. Couldn't still get the colors right I think.

winestein:
I think your last image is starting to look very good.  Keep in mind that you shot this with a dual narrowband filter which allows mostly Hydrogen Alpha and OIII to pass.  The Running Man and parts of M42 are reflection nebula which is best shot without the L-extreme.  Try shooting without the filter for the colors that I think you are trying to achieve.  The stars will look a lot better too.  And if you are up to it, you can combine the 2 images to show the reflection and the emission nebula.  I know this sounds complicated,  but the combine Ha with RGB tool in Pixinsight Toolbox is pretty easy to use.  Just my 2 cents.  Good luck!

Yes, that is in the agenda. Waiting for clouds to clear up to take a set of colour images without filters.