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DSO's with a webcam


RogerTheDodger

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great post this as I was just about to ask if the brighter DSO's can be imaged with a webcam and a 12inch dob. I loved imaging Jupiter and the results were better than I had hoped for.

I looked at the long exposure mod (do I need it) ,but am I right in thinking that this mod would be pointless when using a DOB AZ mount as the tracking would not be up to the job, ok for bright planets but poor for DSO's?

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Cracking shots. I agree, taking and subtracting darks would help clean up the images.

Two questions. What software packages are you processing the images with & do you have problems with light pollution & if so, how are you combating it?

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Rodger; these are simply fantastic images you have created with the webcam. Congrats!

On you tube there is a tutorial put together by Dion at Astronomy Shed showing step by step the use of DSS with DSO,s. The image he runs through DSS also came out very washed out but he shows further steps to pull out a very good image.

I used the same site to mod my cam for LX and Amp Off and found that the cam worked well using Sharpcap except for the Amp Off and it would not function in LX mode on any other capture programs. A moderator at a different forum looked at the schematics and suggested that the DTR and RTS lines should be reversed. I took his advice and switched the lines and the cam now works fine in all programs and with far less amp glow. This may be worth looking into. Hope some of this helps.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Three more from tonight, sn2012a, M82 and another go at M1. M82 looks like it may improve with a bit more data.

That's amazing. You're capturing stars down to beyond 17th magnitude! Who would have thought that possible with a webcam?

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Who would have thought that possible with a webcam?

CCDs are basically as sensitive as each other, "quantum efficiency" varies with £££ spent but not by more than a factor of 2 or so and the other remaining factor, pixel size (which correlates well with noise), places the webcam right up there with DSLRs. As long as you control the temperature well and don't allow electroluminescence from circuitry to create "amp-glow", webcams are just like astro-ccds.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey Rodger. After your reply to me I checked out this thread from the link in your sig. Hope you don't mind me adding my own image to show what can be done. My own image of the core of M42.

Orion130112edit.jpg

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Hello people looking for some advice on capturing Ring......but correctly. Not sure whether its a focus thing or im not setting something up correctly. Determined to get this little blighter! I setup last night to capture this via Sharpcap, spent an age focussing and getting tracking right (though post processing says different). Im using a modified with amp off SPc900 to obtain the capture but just cant seem to get a clean sharp image. I am using a filter (IR) on the webcam but other than that nothing really, even used my bahtinov to help me with focus. I made 13 * 63 secs subs with 2 x dark on these but they look sloppy. If anyone has any advice please help im determined to get this correct this weekend. Thanks peeps (wish I oculd attatch all 15 files but just one and a post process (registax and PShop).

post-24251-133877779689_thumb.png

post-24251-133877779698_thumb.jpg

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Thanks Gina. The area in which im grabbing this appears to be right over Birmingham which does give more LP in that area than others. Looking at it last night it rises quite a way upwards. Is this what LP can do, ie blurry, impossible to focus images? I may have to wait a couple of hours before it reaches somewhere around the azimuth. Thanks again.

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