IR/UV filter required?

[Super Hans]

Is an IR/UV filter useful/needed when connecting a webcam to a scope? All of my images come out looking not quite right and no amount of tweaking in Gimp seems to make a difference. 

As you can see from the above picture the colour is off and I've run out of ideas on how to get them looking as natural as possible. I've read that an IR/UV filter will give a better result when imaging but I'd like to get a definitive answer from more knowledgeable people before I shell out for something that may or may not help. Thanks...

[Uplooker]

It depends -

1. what scope are you using - refractor or reflector?
2. Are you using a Barlow?

Reason i ask is that red light comes to focus at a different point than other light does. That only comes to the fore if the light you are trying to capture i.e. the target image is passing through any glass. If you are using a reflector without any Barlow's etc. you should not need a IR/UV filter. However, if you are using a Barlow with a reflector or a refactor (with or without additional glassware in the imaging train) you will need a IR/UV filter.

Ian

[Pete Presland]

i always use one, one permantly on my OSC camera. more info about what you are using is needed really. add you equipment to your signature so members know what you are using.

as Ian said you can get away with not using one perhaps on a reflector, but you are almost certainly going to use a barlow on a reflector to get a bigger image scale.