Image Capture

Step 1: Download FireCapture. Here is the location for the tutorials.

Step 2: Watch the tutorials. These should give you sufficient knowledge to use FireCapture.

Note: I prefer to capture via the .SER format.

RegiStax Processing

Step 3: Download RegiStax 6. Here is the location for the user's manual. Open RegiStax 6.

 Select 

Step 4: Click on Select found in the upper left of the RegiStax page. Once you have your file for processing selected, you are ready to begin the sharpening workflow.



 Align 

Step 5: Set Alignpoints - This will set alignpoints for the current image based on the estimator parameter settings.



Step 6: Align - This will perform image alignment.



Step 7: Limit - This will limit the number of frames used based on the slider and the setting of Limit Setup.



 Stack 

Step 8: Stack - This starts the stacking procedure.



For additional information on stacking in general, please refer to this article from Night Sky Pix.

 Wavelet 

Step 9: Wavelets - Enter wavelet values. I have saved several different schemes and load them one at a time until the appropriate scheme sharpens the image to my liking. The schemes that I use are shown below (sorted with most used on left).



Click here for a zipped file of the RegiStax wavelet values.



Step 10: Contrast/Brightness - First, click on an area of interest in the image. This will tell RegiStax to only process a small area of the image. Usually, you will want to select a prominence or filament. Then, adjust the slider bars for contrast and brightness until you are satisfied with the result. Proceed to the next step to process the entire image with your values.



Step 11: Do All - This will calculate wavelets for all parts of the image (when larger than the processing area).



Step 12: Save image - This will save the current waveletimage and use Do_All if necessary.

Photoshop Processing

Step 13: For every monochrome solar image created, I use Photoshop to create a total of 4 images.
1. Original monochrome image from FireCapture and processed in RegiStax named Sun_yyyymmdd_hhmmss.
2. Hydrogen-Alpha colored image named Sun_yyyymmdd_hhmmss_C.
3. Inverted Hydrogen-Alpha colored image named Sun_yyyymmdd_hhmmss_IC.
4. Inverted Hydrogen-Alpha monochrome image named Sun_yyyymmdd_hhmmss_IM.

The RGB curve channel definitions for color processing are (courtesy of John W. O'Neal II):

Red	Input:  84	Output:  139
Green	Input:  95	Output:  20
Blue	Input:  218	Output:  65

Click here for a zipped file of the Photoshop Curves color values (same zip file as shown above).



And the final results!



Prominences are enhanced as appropriate.

ImPPG Processing (Optional)

Step 14: Download ImPPG.

Step 15: Load processing settings - After you open the image file, enter or load the processing settings. I have saved several different settings and load them one at a time until the appropriate setting sharpens the image to my liking. The settings that I use are shown below.

Click here for a zipped file of the ImPPG processing settings (same zip file as shown above).