OK, so after quite a few hours of editing 50 of the 244 individual images before combining them with Image Stacker, using the Brighten blending option, I have something that is closer to what I had originally planned on producing.

Editing/text frame done in PhotoShop CS. Editing done at 200% image scale for each image, using both the clone stamp tool and the healing brush tool. Final levels and curves applied to "enhance" the image.

Clear skies!

Paul

Attached Images

2-hour star trails with Iridium flares.jpg (143.3 KB, 75 views)

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Photons are free. Take some!

Lots of work there. It cleaned up pretty good.

Wow, all the plane trails gone! Definitely a work of art.

You might want to try increasing the saturation and teaking the color balance to remove some green. Those nasy sodium vapor lamps creat a lot of green noise.

I was playing with the image and PixInsight's background extractor did a good job at limiting the light pollution, I'll post or e-mail the image if you are interested in seeing it.

--Andy

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Observatorio de la Ballona

Very nice results Paul.

Now that's a labour of love. Nice work Paul.