Behind the photograph · 03

Andromeda

A galaxy takes shape. Slide between my FITS preview and the finished Andromeda photograph.

Inside Andromeda · Explore the details →

Display-stretched FITS preview of the same field — The FITS preview uses a display stretch to reveal faint detail. It is a rendered view of the supplied FITS data, not an untouched camera exposure. The finished image is the JPEG supplied by the photographer.

Open finished photograph Open FITS preview

Behind the image

Revealing the galaxy.

My Andromeda photograph, shown alongside a preview of the FITS file. Follow the dust lanes through both versions and see how the processing reveals structure around the bright core.

The preview has a linked brightness stretch across all three colour channels. The finished photograph is my existing gallery image.

A small record of learning: the same field of stars, seen at two stages of the journey.