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How to best combine RGB and SHO data on California Nebula

Processing SHO RGB Deep Sky
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How to best combine RGB channel with SHO channel subframes
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Arny avatar
Arny avatar
By stupid mistake I took 3 hours of RGB instead of SHO data of the California nebula. After noticing the mistake I gathered another 5 hours of SHO data. 

Due to bortle 4 skies the RGB channels have a poor SNR, also the O channel is very faint. 

Rather than just to discard the RGB data, how can I best integrate it into the SHO data?

a. Process RGB and SHO and merge
b. Merge each color channel (R+S, G+H, B+O) and then combine into image
c. Use combined RGB as Luminance and combine with SHO into LSHO

Any recommendation or best practices?

Arny
Well Written Engaging
Rodrigo Roesch avatar
Rodrigo Roesch avatar
You  find PS works better for me to do that. You can try to process both SHO and RGB separated and then add the RGB as a color layer on top of SHO. Another option is to remove the stars of the  SHO and use it as luminance  and then process the imagen like a regular LRGB
Tom Boyd avatar
Tom Boyd avatar
While 3 hours is overkill, you could use RGB for the star field and SHO for the nebula itself.
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Richard avatar
Richard avatar
Tom Boyd:
While 3 hours is overkill, you could use RGB for the star field and SHO for the nebula itself.

This right here.

I recently did this for the first time on my Soul Nebula image. 1hr of combined RGB, extract the starfield and insert into my 11hrs of SHO data. ​​​​​I think the results came out quite nice, going forward I'll be doing this for my NB images. 

Here's my picture of SHO Soul Nebula with RGB stars:
https://www.astrobin.com/5jjgbe/
astrojuanan avatar
astrojuanan avatar
[pre]Hello, I understand that since I am starting with a bortle 4, is it better to take RGB than SHO, for example with the 2600MM? I have had that doubt for a long time[/pre]
Norman Tajudin avatar
Norman Tajudin avatar
Are you looking for natural colors or NB?  The Narrow Band Color Mapper script in Pixinsight is a great tool to map color channels, normalize backgrounds, etc. If you use Pixinisight, here's more info from Adam block on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0XxB-sOFD0Q?si=NZaIuo1_w5yuUInx
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astrojuanan avatar
astrojuanan avatar
I'm not looking for that exactly, I'm looking to learn how to take my lghts on a b4 since they say that it is better to do RGBH than for example HSO, that is my doubt
Arny avatar
Arny avatar
Norman Tajudin:
Are you looking for natural colors or NB?  The Narrow Band Color Mapper script in Pixinsight is a great tool to map color channels, normalize backgrounds, etc. If you use Pixinisight, here's more info from Adam block on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0XxB-sOFD0Q?si=NZaIuo1_w5yuUInx


Actually I would like to see natural colors but took narrowband. 

Thanks for the hint, I will try this out!

Arny
Norman Tajudin avatar
Norman Tajudin avatar
Arny:
Norman Tajudin:
Are you looking for natural colors or NB?  The Narrow Band Color Mapper script in Pixinsight is a great tool to map color channels, normalize backgrounds, etc. If you use Pixinisight, here's more info from Adam block on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0XxB-sOFD0Q?si=NZaIuo1_w5yuUInx


Actually I would like to see natural colors but took narrowband. 

Thanks for the hint, I will try this out!

Arny

Definitely give it a spin.  Adam mentions a natural color adaptation of the Narrow Band data in his video.  I've used it to combine RGB+HA. RGB+SHO, Narrow Band as RGB, etc.  Love it.  Makes it so easy to iterate and experiment!
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Howard Richard avatar
Howard Richard avatar
I have had success using the NBRBG script in PI. https://www.astrobin.com/kl3t0k/

I used the script to add NB detail to my RBG image.


I also see tha Adam Block has a new PI script https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j14lPwcNeeo

As other have said, this is described as a way to potentially blend RGB and SHO images.
astrojuanan avatar
astrojuanan avatar
Howard Richard:
I have had success using the NBRBG script in PI. https://www.astrobin.com/kl3t0k/

I used the script to add NB detail to my RBG image.


I also see tha Adam Block has a new PI script https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j14lPwcNeeo

As other have said, this is described as a way to potentially blend RGB and SHO images.


Howard Richard:
I have had success using the NBRBG script in PI. https://www.astrobin.com/kl3t0k/

I used the script to add NB detail to my RBG image.


I also see tha Adam Block has a new PI script https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j14lPwcNeeo

As other have said, this is described as a way to potentially blend RGB and SHO images.

what is the script?
Howard Richard avatar
Howard Richard avatar
In PixInsight > Scripts > Utilities > NBRGBCombination
Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
There is also a script “Combine RGB and Narrowband” in the PI Toolbox