hhas tge Southern Milky Way reddit askastrophotography

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Data from Rize_R6 on reddit askastrophotography:
https://old.reddit.com/r/AskAstrophotography/comments/1lk7cpr/bad_photos_or_inability_to_edit/
The image is is copyright Rize_R6.

Processed a single image: DSC01281.ARW for natural color.

Raw convert in rawtherapee with lens profile to reduce light fall-off, daylight white balance.
(This took ~2 minutes of my time.)

No darks, no flats, no bias.

Used photoshop to do feathered selections to reduce airglow and gradients. Final tweaks with curves in photoshop (slight contrast boost in brighter areas). (5 minutes of my time.)

Result (~10 minutes of my time):

This image includes some airglow, green (due to oxygen) near bottom, then red (also due to oxygen) above the green and below the Milky Way.

This version hhas most of the airglow subtracted using feathered selection and subtraction with curves.

Note the Large Magellanic Cloud at the bottom. Note the greenish spot to the upper left, which is the Tarantula nebula and the green is due to oxygen.
Large Magellanic Cloud example image, natural color, stock camera.

In the center of the OPs Milky Way image is the Eta Carina nebula, pink from hydrogen emission.
The Eta Carina Nebula, example image, natural color, stock camera.

A reference wide angle southern Milky way image that also shows Eta Carina:
Night on the Serengeti, Tanzania, natural color, stock camera.

Resources:

Astrophotography Made Simple

Astrophotography Post Processing with RawTherapee

Skyglow subtraction with selections and curves tools: Astrophotography Image Processing with Light Pollution

Details of color calibration: Sensor Calibration and Color

June 25, 2025