JWST NIRCam starless and luminance approach for postprocessing

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NGC2070 Tarantula Nebula in Dorado, JWST NIRCAM raw data

After processing James Webb Space Telescope raw calibrated .fit data focused about NGC2070 by Photoshop screen colorized blending layers, with colours assigned according to NIRCAM filters guideline (cfr.: https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-near-infrared-camera ) I was able to obtain this preliminary result.

Integration of NIRCAM f090W, f187N, f200W, f335M and f444W filters

According to spectrum values indicated by NIRCAM filters guidelines I decided a different approach for postproduction, considering the lowest nm values as “blue” colour band, the middle nm values as green, and the highest nm as red channel for an RGB combination.

Using Pixelmath I thus combined in PixInSight f090W and f187N masters creating my blue channel, f200W and f335N as the green channel, and f444W master for red channel.

NIRCAM f090W + f187N filter integration (PixInSight > Pixelmath)
NIRCAM f200W + f335N filter integration (PixInSight > Pixelmath)
NIRCAM f444W filter

Being NIRCAM data results of very narrowband recordings, I approach such masters as a peculiar SHO integration, and decided to attempt a starless integration for nebula details and colours work, and final recomposition of starry image using star luminance layer.

Starless version of each master I obtained by PixInSight > Starnet2. Each master I then stretched and export as .tiff in Photoshop for contrast adjustement, star residual removing and hot pixels fixing.

Starless NIRCAM f090W + f187N filter integration
Starless NIRCAM f200W + f335N filter integration
Starless NIRCAM f444W filter

In Photoshop I imported each master into pertinent RGB channel. Then I provide to contrast, saturation and Brightness adjustement layers and fix other pixels problem emerged from channels combination.

Starless LRGB integration where: L=f444W R=f444W G=f200W+f335N B=f090W+f187M JWST NIRCAM NGC2070

Starry NIRCAM f444W filter master as luminance was finally imported as upper layer in luminosity blending mode, while starless f444W master for starless version.