Solar Processing Workflow, single shot including both the limb and the surface in hydrogen alpha.

[@nancyricigliano19]

Great tutorial, I enjoyed your talk with AOS this afternoon

[@malsYT]

Thanks! Clear skies!

[@astronomynotebook]

Yes ....a great tutorial on processing proms and surface together....much easier...will follow. Thank you 😊

[@malsYT]

Thanks!

[@newbee1016]

An other great video, I think that this one will be played over again a few times, I suppose I can bring the video up on my iPad and follow along that way. But first I have to get the data to work with. Cheers Robert

[@EDGCOMBE7]

Great tutorial, thanks for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻

[@malsYT]

Thanks!

[@Bills_APCh]

Very useful video, thank you. Its a useful addition to our toolbox for image processing. Could you do a video, as detailed as possible on correct flat field acquisition and calibration? The type of plastic cover, how to apply it to cover the tube (tightness), single or double layer film, how to know if flat frame is correct. I have got reasonable or complete removal of NRs but find my corrected image is too dark. Maybe I need to boost the original exposure times, but then its not so easy to find the NRs and dust spots. Many thanks, Marty.

[@malsYT]

Hi, take a look at this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2jVhIKOjLZ3kK8 And in the description under the video, expand it, I go over some of the calibration information. That is a good idea to perhaps do a video about different forms of flat calibration, I'll see what I can do.

[@Bills_APCh]

@@malsYT Hello Marty! Thank you so much for this, its just what I needed. It would have taken me months/years to work that out...I will watch and read your notes, maybe I can post you a summary in graphical form! Thank you.

[@jerahian]

Fantastic tutorial, Marty! Concise and easy to follow. Thank you for putting this together!! I'm following your method to process my first solar image ever :) I do have one question: At 16:40, when you select your "Solar_Colorized" preset for levels, what are the independent RGB values for that preset, if you don't mind sharing?

[@malsYT]

Hi, thanks! My preset values to colorize to the golden yellow/orange color (this is false color, the star is technically a white star in visual spectrum color terms; the yellow/orange colors are due to our atmosphere and substances in our atmosphere) is done via a levels adjustment. Select each channel individually. I set the red mid-point to be 1.6, the green mid-point to be 0.8 and my blue mid-point is 0.2; the white and black points are untouched for values. Adjust the values to see the changes in false color and go with what you like best! Some prefer a more red color, or a more yellow, etc. You can do any color you find pleasing.

[@redabdab]

Great tutorial! Thanks. I'm interested to see that in AS! you have so many align points. I was under the impression that you should aim for 4-500 max. But you have thousands. Also, I always have the Image Stabilisation set to 'expand' rather that 'cropped' - can you explain why you chose 'cropped'? Thanks

[@malsYT]

Hi, local alignment points are how you lucky image, theres no logic to use less in this application. Each box is stitched together at the end as a mosaic. If you use less you will include more data that potentially had worse contrast which is how it weights the data related to seeing. I crop the result because theres no use keeping the artifact edges that couldn't be aligned, you crop that out anyway so its just workflow reduction.

[@DennisCarmody]

Thanks! Would love to see a collection tutorial, too!

[@malsYT]

Thanks! I'm not sure I follow, could you elaborate a bit more on what you mean?

[@DennisCarmody]

The imaging! W Firecapture or your software of choice. Also would love to see what if anything you do different from imaging to processing for WL and caK

[@malsYT]

Thanks! So acquisition, I will do that next. I will do a re-do of acquisition for chromosphere and photosphere at likely mid to high resolution scales. I don't do much different for photosphere or CaK images, other than soften it a bit more even to make sure the cells are not lost. That will be next! Thanks for the request and idea!

[@DennisCarmody]

I know there’s a lot of subjectiveness to this hobby but your images are usually my favorite when I see them pop up on CN or elsewhere. I’m trying to get better at this myself and your previous tutorial was very helpful. Can’t wait to apply this one to new data if the sun ever decides to show up on a day I’m home.

[@malsYT]

Thanks! I'm happy it was useful, I'll do acquisition next and will do photosphere and lower chromosphere next!

[@mr.harris8185]

Sharing those solar curve presets would be wonderful please.

[@malsYT]

Sure, for levels the red channel mid point is 1.6, green mid point is 0.8 and blue mid point is 0.2 in a single levels adjustment for the color presented here. Adjust to your own liking!

[@hawkspace]

I just found this video. Great job! I have an Astrobin page 'Astrohawk' and do a lot of solar. I'm using a .3 A solar spectrum filter - 100mm refractor - ERF - FLIR usb3 camera. I have a big problem getting both surface and proms at the same time without using gamma. I seem to be missing something. Any ideas? Thanks

[@malsYT]

Hi, thanks! In this video I explain exposure so that you get both in the same shot via the data and signal to noise ratio allowing you to lift the proms from shadow data. Expose the disc as brightly as you can without clipping anything (difficult with plages and active flare activity), you may not see the proms, but they're there in the shadow data along with the spicule limb. You can then lift them in post with a curve adjustment. I show this entire process in this video. Gamma is purely software. Whatever you do with gamma in FireCapture/SharpCap can be done with the same data without gamma and adjust it later in post.

[@hawkspace]

@@malsYT Thanks for the response. First I made sure there were actually some proms to be brought out (overexposed) then I backed off to just below clipping but were unable to bring in the proms with curves. I use sharp cap and autostakkert. Today I'll try firecapture. Although I don't think that should make a difference. Thanks

[@davidaucoin4990]

What copy of Photo Shop did you use? Is it the online sub or your own separate copy? If the latter, where can I get my own personal copy of PS?

[@malsYT]

This is an old copy of photoshop CS5.1, my own copy that I got many years ago from university library for pennies. Free software can be used to do the same thing here, I think GiMP can do all of this for free, just with different terminology and names, but the basic processes should be there (every pixel editor has levels, curves, etc functions and layers these days).

[@safinsd6612]

I love this processing video and your capture video kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2jVhIKOjLZ3kK8. I like the pace of the capture video, but it's a bit challenging to follow all of your actions in this processing video even though I'm fairly familiar with Photoshop. Would be nice to see a slightly slower version.

[@malsYT]

Thanks! KZbin allows you to run it at slower playback BTW!

[@safinsd6612]

@malsYT Thanks! I didn't know that. So many YT tutorials make me sleepy - not yours! You solved 2 problems for me: identifying a workflow and how to stack/process. Solar is so different from DSO imaging.

[@malsYT]

@@safinsd6612 No worries, glad to help!