1004X EX-VIEW LONG EXPOSURE ASTRO CAMERA

LRGB IMAGE of M51

Reprocessed image from 18th July 2002

The image was reprocessed using a technique proposed by Jon Grove in the QCUIAG Yahoo Group 31st July 2002.

The original L image was used to produced a mildly unsharp masked image and a slightly gaussian blurred image. These were then processed using blurred high contrast positive and negative masks,also based on the original L image The results were summed and used as luminance in the LRGB image. The result is preserved detail in the brighter areas with a reduction of the noise through blurring in the darker areas (particularly the background)