ProStar LP-Guide Outreach Display Technique
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ToupSky is the image capturing software that comes bundled with the LP-Guide colour camera. Its camera controls include not only the expected settings for exposure time and gain but also many other adjustments that can affect the camera's output to the software's display window. In particular there are dark frame subtraction and histogram stretch features. The dark frame subtraction goes a long way to overcoming any noise generated by the uncooled camera. The histogram stretch can help to make faint details stand out. Once set to run, the software actions all of the camera control settings each time that it refreshes its “video” display after the set exposure time has ended. Once an image is captured to the "video" display it can be remembered as a separate image by using the software's Snapshot feature. This creates a new tab in the display window where the new image can be seen. In fact, because ToupSky provides quite a full range of post-processing adjustments that can be applied to any image, it is a good idea to save two separate snapshots of the same “video” display. Techniques such as curves, colour editing, sharpening, etc. can then be applied to the second snapshot. By comparing the two snapshots visitors can see how software can enhance the downloaded “video” display for better viewing.
Below are screenshots showing two snapshots of the same 1 minute "video" capture of the Trifid Nebula M20. Only the second snapshot has been enhanced using some of ToupSky's post-processing techniques.
Below are screenshots showing two snapshots of the same 1 minute "video" capture of the Trifid Nebula M20. Only the second snapshot has been enhanced using some of ToupSky's post-processing techniques.