Now is the time to put the final touches on the image. We start with a final application of curves to brighten the image and bring out the star field a bit more distinctly.

The background is very "black". This is not desirable in an astronomical image. It should not be "inky" black but a very dark shade of gray. To do this I use levels and move the left marker on the bottom slider a little to the right. Keep an eye on the image to determine the level you desire. You can click the "preview eye" on and off to see the difference your current setting is making.

This finishes the steps in this exercise. View the final image to judge the finished product.