M51 (The Whirlpool Galaxy) Project for PixInsight (LHRGB)

Pixinsight Project: This PXI project is a perfect example of how to create a winning image in PixInsight

This product allows to follow exactly the processing of the data set in PixInsight performed by digital creator and astro photograph Omar Cazzanti.

You need to save this product to your computer, unzip the compressed file. Please open the project in PixInsight using the function Open > Load project. You will see the master light files opening in the work space. On the right hand side you will see all used process icons to process this data set. All process icons contain a description explaining the respective process steps.

You need to purchase the parent product (ngc4490/85) together with this add-on product!

The project uses free third-party scripts, not included in the PixInsight installation. Those are:

• SetiAstro Suite: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/setiastro/pixinsight-updates/main/
• GraXpert: https://pixinsight.deepskyforge.com/update/graxpert-process/
• Cosmic Photons ImageBlend: https://www.cosmicphotons.com/pi-scripts/imageblend/
• NightPhotons Processing Suite: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/charleshagen/pixinsight/main/updates/
• PixInsight Utilities: https://www.ideviceapps.de/PixInsight/Utilities/
• Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch: https://www.ghsastro.co.uk/updates/

Make sure to add links above to your PI environment under RESOURCES → Updates → Manage Repositories.

Once you add them run RESOURCES → Updates → Check for Updates.

It might be necessary to restart your PI instance afterward.

The project also uses paid third-party processes, also not included in the PixInsight installation. Namely:
• RC Astro BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator and NoiseXTerminator: https://www.rc-astro.com/

The final project has 130 steps (process icons) and thus, was split into multiple processing stages – each stage has its own process icons in a separate workspace.

• Workspace 1 – RGB and Luminance Processing
• Workspace 2 – LRGB composition and H-alpha Continuum Subtraction
• Workspace 3 – Second round of Ha processing and unveiling the Ha-cliffs
• Workspace 4 – Star layer processing and final adjustments

At the end of the process in WS 1, 2, 3 you will need to move certain image to the following workspace. The last process will list the respective images.

Due to a bug in the SetiAstro’s script (drawn shapes are not recorded in the script instance), associated masks are provided in the auxiliary data folder, together with other masks I used during the processing. I made sure to notify the user about that in the process icons whenever there was a need to create FAME-based mask.