Lunar & Planetary Image Processing, by Robert Reeves
Abstract:
This course is intended to help you get the most out of your Lunar and Planetary images.
Using today’s affordable dedicated planetary video cameras and a variety of image-processing techniques, we’ll take you through step-by-step to enhance your raw planetary video to completed product!
Modern lunar and planetary imaging is performed in three steps:
- Proper telescope collimation and camera mechanical alignment
- Exposure control and video acquisition
- Video processing and post processing of stacked video images
In this course, the application of these three operational steps, plus the advantages and disadvantages of three cameras will be discussed: the QHY-5L, the Celestron Skyris series, and the The Imaging Source cameras.
Lunar and planetary imaging can be dome primarily with freeware and software native to the individual cameras. However, advanced techniques to elevate amateur lunar images to professional-level work requires additional software like Photoshop CS-6, now available on an affordable monthly subscription basis.
Software covered in this course will include:
- Image acquisition using native camera drivers and FireCapture freeware
- Video image stacking using AutoStakkert2 freeware
- Wavelet enhancement of AutoStakkert 2 output using RegiStax 6 freeware
- “Super-enhancement” of RegiStax 6 output using Photoshop CS6.
At the end of this class, we’ll take some Lunar & Planetary images from students and show you how these techniques are applied. If time is available, we’ll also start some 1-on-1 sessions!
There is also an informal 1-on-1 Lunar & Planetary Images hands-on Workshop on Wednesday 10-11:30 AM !!!
Prerequisites:
None. However we will be covering this software and you may want to download it!
Daytime session (1.5 hours)
Tuesday May 27, 2014 3-4:30 PM