Stacking

Stacking

OK, so here's some notes. Completely unorganized for now...

Got this from a "Vortex" site:
http://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-pre-processing-calibrating-and-stacking-images-in-pixinsight.html

1) Stack bias frames to produce a master bias. Transform this into a noise-free master superbias.
2) Calibrate dark frames with master superbias. Stack these dark frames to produce a master dark.
3) Calibrate flat frames with master superbias and master dark. Stack these flat frames to produce a master flat.
4) Calibrate the light frames to stack with the master superbias, master dark and master flat.
5) Apply cosmetic correction to the calibrated light frames to stack.
6) Debayer the light frames if they are colour images such as those captured using a one shot colour CCD or DSLR camera.
7) Select the best light frames and optimise their weightings.
8) Register the light frames to stack with each other.
9) Stack the light frames.
10) Apply the Drizzle algorithm to produce an end result.

--------------------------------------------
MasterBias (Use 200 frames)
Process ImageCaslibration->ImageCalibration
-Load the bias files
-ImageIntegration:
Combination          Average
Normalization        No Normalization
Weights                Dont care
Scale Estimator      MAD
Evaluate Noise       0
Pixel Rejection
 Sigma Clipping
 No Normalization
Pixel Rejection 2
 Sigma High 3
 Sigma Low  3
Save as master_bias

--------------------------------------------
MasterDarks
Load the dark files
Process ImageCaslibration->ImageCalibration
-ImageIntegration:
Combination          Average
Normalization        Dont care
Scale Estimator      MAD
Evaluate Noise       0
Pixel Rejection
 Sigma Clipping
 No Normalization
Pixel Rejection 2
 Sigma High 3
 Sigma Low  3
save as master_darks

--------------------------------------------
Calibrate Flats
Process ImageCaslibration->ImageCalibration
 -Load flat files
 -Output to calibrated_flats
Select master bias, and dark
For Dark
-Calibrate
-Optimize
-Threshold 0

--------------------------------------------
MasterFlat
Process ImageIngegration  ImageIngegration
Load the calibrated flat files
-ImageIntegration:
Combination          Average
Normalization         Multiplicative
Weights                 Don't care
Evaluate Noise       0
Pixel Rejection
 Sigma Clipping
 No Normalization
Pixel Rejection 2
 Sigma High 3
 Sigma Low  3
save as master_darks

--------------------------------------------
Calibrate Lights
(make sure that we are set to pure_raw for dslr_raw)
Process ImageCaslibration->ImageCalibration
Use Origional images
 Prefix iso_xx_

OutputFiles
 -Output to calibrated_lights
MasterBias Use
Master Dark Use
 -Calibrate
 -Optimize
Master Flat Use

--------------------------------------------
Registering calibrated lights

Process->ImageRegistration->starAlignment
-Use calibrated_lights
-OutputImages
 Directory! "registered"
 Prefix iso_xx_

-StarDetection Out of 28:

Detect Scales       8
Noise scales        2
Hot pixel removal   1
Noise Reduction     10
Log                 -1.96
Peake Response      .92
Max distortion      .5
Upper Limit          1

For a manual Process->ImageCalibration->Dynamic alignment

--------------------------------------------
Stacking
Image Integration
Process -> image integration -> image integration
Image Integration
-Combination Average
-Normalization Additive with scaling
-Weights Noise Evaulation
-EvaluateNoise
Pixel Rejection
 Sigma Clipping
 Scale +zero
Pixel Rejection 2
 Sigma High 3
 Sigma Low  3






Color
Process Image Transformations
Screen transfer function