Deep sky with UNmodified webcams?

Hi,

I tried imaging the trapezium last night with a ToUCam, unmodified though a 4"Mak. After messing with the curves a bit, parts of the Orion nebula are clearly there:


about 1000 frames.

Has anyone managed to get decent nebulosity using an unmodified webcam?

Cheers,
~Al

Albert,
I tried using the webcam on the orion nebula last year and heres what came out.

www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/fi...-orion_nebula1bc.jpg

Its from an AVI of 100 images, it was more of an experiment just to see what would come out and at the time I was only starting with the webcam and didnt full know all the features and limitations.
thats when I decided to forget about the webcam for deepsky, and get a DSLR like the Canon.
Here an image through the same scope with the Canon

homepage.eircom.net/~sac/graphics/deepsky/m42combined.jpg

Blows the webcam out of the water!, the tracking wasnt spot on, but alright for a quick setup.
I think its a matter of using the right tool for the right job.

Not a bad shot Albert
Though i can't offer any advice as i've never used a webcam, but why don't you try a filter??

Just my 2 cents
Keith.

Keith,
Unfortunately, filters would not help with the unmodified webcam in this respect.
Filters darken the image, its just that they darken the background more then the subject so increasing the contrast.

Its a common mis-conception that filters make an image brighter, I wish they could!.

The real issue with the webcam is that once you go to very low light levels, the webcam just isnt sensitive enough (cant do single long exposures) to pick up the light, adding a filter which darkens the total image might not help alot ?!?

Dave, wow! that's some shot of the orion nebula with the canon
How do you attach it to the scope?, and how do you focus if you can't see through the scope?, does the camera automatically focus?

Keith..

Hi Keith,
I have a T-adapter for the canon which allows me to attach it to a flip mirror at the back of the tube, as the scope is a 12", you can see the stars through the camera/telescope so focusing is not as big an issue.
I take off the camera lens and telescope eyepiece, basically the telecope becomes the camera lens, I didnt use any filters.
This was merging of a 10 second and a 30 second exposure, last year.
I'm hoping to get more this winter.