BlurXTerminator, a revolution in deconvolution

Russell Croman, the developer behind popular AI-based processing tools like StarXTerminator and NoiseXTerminator, has released a new tool for the astrophotographer. It is called BlurXterminator (BXT) and is a deconvolution tool. Like his other tools, it is extremely easy to use, thanks in large part to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

There are separate controls to deconvolve either stars or non-star like structures, such as nebulosity. The deconvolution of stars can be set to have a strong effect without any artefacts. The result is a pretty significant star reduction at the same time. In the process, halos around stars can also be corrected. Or, if you want to emphasise the brighter stars, for example in an open star cluster, halos can be added for a somewhat softer look. The amount of sharpening of non-stellar structures can be set using a separate slider resulting in a somewhat more subtle effect. No masking is required.

In the deconvolution of the stars, not only do they get sharper, they also get rounder. By ticking ‘Correct only’, the star-shape is corrected without applying any sharpening. An ideal way to improve images that may have suffered from coma, tracking errors, sensor tilt, etc.

To see the tool in action, you can get a free trial. Or you can checkout several YouTube channels that have already published a reviews. One of the more extensive reviews is from Adam Block, who published a video explaining BXT in great detail using many examples.

Compared to traditional deconvolution methods, BXT is much, much easier to use, with much better results and less artefacts. It does require a modern processor and/or a good graphics card to do all the AI calculations. Details can be found on Russell’s website. The tool is not cheap at $99,95, but worth every penny. Owners of any of Russell’s other tools will get a $10 discount.