The combined image must be processed to adjust color, enhance detail and adjust brightness levels of the different areas of the image.
Galaxies and nebulae often have large brightness variations that make it impossible to see details in light and dark areas in the same picture if it is not proper processed.
For this post processing software such as Photoshop, pixinsight, MaxIm DL or Registax are often used.
Magic Focus is also very useful for improving the sharpness and to correct stars stretched by tracking errors.
When the object is larger than the field of the camera can, mosaics of multiple images can be made to create a larger image.
Below you can see a combined image before and after processing.
The process increases the contrast and sharpness of detail and enhances the stars and fainter nebulae areas without saturating the bright areas, in addition a mosaic of three images was made.
Monitor calibration

Adjust your monitor to see all grey boxes
Recommended sites
- Alpha Centauri (Carlos di Nallo)
- Astroblog (Alberto Ceretta)
- Astrofotografia Uruguay (Jorge Quiñones)
- Astronomía y Astrofotografía en Uruguay (Gerardo Addiego)
- Astronomo.org (Forum about amateur astronomers observations)
- Astronomy For Beginners
- Espacio Profundo
- Fotografía Astronómica (Carlos Scarsi)
- Infobservador (Claudio Martínez)
- Kappa Crucis Observatory (Alejandro Garro)
- QCUIAG (pioneers in amateur astrophotography)
- Telescopes
- Zemiorka (Astronautics ans space exploration history)