Re: [APML] New image: The Crescent Nebula

[Juan Conejero <skycad@ctv.es>]

Many thanks Don. We are indeed happy with the results we are achieving. 
It's a bit risky to say this, but I think that, if we are able to preserve 
our current development speed, we may have a first beta version running 
this summer. However, we are still learning new and very interesting 
things, which may force us to change fundamental aspects of the application 
at its current early stage.

Wavelets processing can be applied just to any image, no matter film, CCD, 
single exposure of integrated. It's an exciting and powerful analysis tool 
that works splitting the images into hierarchical layers, each one 
corresponding to a characteristic image scale. For example, a typical 
situation is: layer 0 contains pure noise, layer 1 some noise and small 
stellar images, layer 2 medium-sized stars and object features, and so on. 
Altering the contribution and contents of each layer one can reduce noise, 
sharpen the image at selected scales, or both. Furthermore, using wavelets 
one can boost the performance of other critical, highly noise-sensitive 
tasks, as deconvolution.

Our program uses 32-bit floating point numbers to store and manipulate the 
images in memory. It wil be able to read and write 8/16/32 bit integer 
pixel values in tiff and fits files, as well as 32 and 64 bit floating 
point pixels in binary raw and fits files.

SGBNR will be implemented as a subsection of this program. However, we'll 
release a new version of the freeware SGBNR application, which of course 
will be "waveleted".

Thank you.
______________________________________
Juan Conejero, Pleiades Astrophoto
skycad@ctv.es
http://www.pleiades-astrophoto.com/en.html

At 19:04 05/06/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Juan,
>
>Your rendition of the Crescent is impressive.  I love it!  Your new software
>sure seems to do a great job.  Are you ready to start fielding questions
>about PixInsight?  Like, when and how it will be available to the masses?
>Does the wavelet technology require stacking of  4 or more individual
>pictures? Does it support processing in 16 bit mode?  Will it be integrated
>with SGBNR or remain separate?
>
>You have caught my attention, and probably a lot of other APMLer's as well.
>
>Thanks,
>Don
>
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Our last production is an integration of four 1-hour shots. It's NGC 6888
> > on E200 through our LX200 12" + IDAS LPS. As usual, you can see it at two
> > resolutions:
> >
> > 800x800:
> > http://www.pleiades-astrophoto.com/gallery/LX20012.n6888.en.html
> >
> > 1024x1024:
> > http://www.pleiades-astrophoto.com/gallery/LX20012.n6888.1024.en.html
> >
> > This image is the "first-light" of our new image processing software
> > project, in which we have been working hard during some months (and many,
> > many more that are to come). So far we call this monster PixInsight, but
> > this name may well be changed. The news with this image are mainly related
> > to noise reduction, which has been done entirely through wavelets
>processing.
> >
> > We continue very happy with our IDAS LPS. Besides wonderful light
>pollution
> > suppression, an additional effect of this filter is due to its cutoff at
> > about 420 nm. It acts like a minus violet filter, which is fine since it
> > renders Halpha truly red, unpolluted by UV.
> >
> > Comments welcome,
> > ______________________________________
> > Juan Conejero, Pleiades Astrophoto
> > skycad@ctv.es
> > http://www.pleiades-astrophoto.com/en.html


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