Bubble in a Canon 60Da

This image definitely needs more exposure, but it shows what can be accomplished with split star processing. This technique allows processing the stars separate from the rest of the image. Because the nebula can be stretched without worrying about star bloat, it can be pushed much further than would be possible otherwise. This image was processed using the new feature mask tool in the latest Images Plus release. This new tool is a real game changer allowing split star techniques to be accomplished easily.

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Object	NGC7635 (Bubble Nebula) RA 23:20.2 Dec +61:11
Exposure	90 minutes (30 X 3 minutes)
ISO	1600
Camera	Canon 60Da DSLR
Optics	200mm SkyWatcher f/5 Newtonian reflector with Paracorr for a total focal length of 1150 mm
Location	St. Croix, Nova Scotia
Processing	This image was processed entirely in Images Plus 5.75. Calibration, stacking, initial arcsin stretch in Images Plus . Next the feature mask tool was used to separate the stars from the rest of the image. The saturation on the star layer was boosted and the size of the stars was reduced. Masked noise reduction, sharpening and contrast enhancement applied to the nebula layer with alternating softlight and screen combine modes used on several curve adjustments. The layers were then recombined and the result binned and cropped. The wide field shot was processed using more conventional approaches with lots of noise reduction.