California Nebula in HaRGB - Reprocessed Using PixInsight

This is the same data for the Califoria Nebula (NGC 1499) collected with my modified Canon 600d that I used to produce the image in November (and December) of 2017.  I used DSS for stacking and primarily Photoshop for processing.  I have been happy with using PS and hesitant of PixInsight for the usual reason - hard to learn.  However, I recently obtained a ZWO 1600MM-Pro and think it will be easier in the long run to process the images in PI.  Also, I read a recent Sky and Telescope article by Richard Wright who discussed this very subject.  In a nutshell he recommended learning both.  He made the point PI is not any harder to learn than PS and PI can do certain functions much easier than PS.  Use the right tool for the job mentality.

I have already experienced this in my very limited time using PI.  I stacked both the Ha and RGB data using PI and it produced two images which were aligned.  I believe DSS can do this as well but I did not know it at the time so I spent few hours aligning the Ha and RGB images by hand and eye.  I then combined these images using the NBRGB script function followed by a histogram stretch.  Special thanks goes to Shannon Calvert for helping locate the NBRGB function.  The combined image looked OK.  PixInsight did in 10 minutes what me many hours to do in PS.  I then exported the image to PS and did some of my favorite PS operations on this new rendition.  Why didn't I just continue and process the whole image in PI?  The point was to start using PI not totally switch yet and I wanted to get an image done quickly.  It is going to be a long process in order to learn this program, I imagine over time I will use PS less.

The new image is sharper and show more nebulosity than the original image.  Also, the stars as well as the star colors seem much more real or balanced, at least to me.

Reprocessed - PI and PS

Original - DSS and PS

NGC 1499 - California Nebula-HaRGBLocation: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 11-28-17, 12-20-17
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a), Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR, Astronomik Ha Clip-filter, UHC-clip
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: 29 x 120s, 60 x 120s
ISO: 1600
Temp: 8 C, -2 C
Post Processing: Original - Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Astronomy Tools, Lightroom Reprocessed - PI and PS
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