Scorpius and the Milky Way: Seeking Astrophotography Improvement
As a budding astrophotographer, the night sky offers an endless canvas for exploration. Recently, I had the opportunity to capture the majestic constellation of Scorpius and the sprawling band of our own Milky Way galaxy. While I'm pleased with this initial attempt, I'm always looking for ways to push the boundaries and improve the final result.
Here's a look at the details of my capture and processing:
Acquisition Details:
- Lights: 400 frames (640 ISO, 4s exposure)
- Darks: 50 frames (640 ISO, 4s exposure)
- Bias: 40 frames (640 ISO, 1/12000s exposure)
- Flats: 40 frames (640 ISO, 1/8s exposure)
Processing Workflow:
- Stacked in Sequator
- Background extraction in Graxpert
- Stretching and star recomposition in Siril
- Editing in Lightroom
Equipment:
- Samsung S23 main camera with 2.4x zoom
- Sky Conditions: Bortle 5
Seeking Your Expertise
This image was taken under Bortle 5 skies, which provide a decent dark environment for capturing celestial objects. The goal was to showcase the distinct shape of Scorpius alongside the luminous core of the Milky Way. I'm particularly interested in feedback on how to achieve a smoother integration and potentially bring out more detail in the galactic plane.
One suggestion I've received is to explore specialized software like Astro Pixel Processor. The mention of "Multi-Band-Blending" with a specific percentage (30-40%) and "LNC 3 degree" (2-3 iterations) sounds promising for smoothing out the transitions between stacked frames and potentially enhancing the overall visual coherence of the image. This technique is said to be particularly effective in creating a more unified composite, especially when dealing with mosaic-style captures or images where subtle tile borders might be apparent.
I'm eager to experiment with these advanced techniques and learn from the community. What are your go-to methods for refining Milky Way images? Are there any specific parameters you find crucial when working with data from smartphones? Any advice on enhancing color balance or bringing out faint nebulae within the galactic band would be greatly appreciated!
I look forward to your insights and suggestions!
