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Any advice on filters for visual observing?


silentrunning

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When I met some of you astrobods at Kelling last year - or was it the year before:wacko: - you were kind enough to let me look through your telescopes and I seem to remember one or two of you had filters to enhance the view. I particular remember someone showing me the veil nebula with and without the filter and it made the world of difference.

 

As I make a sorty back into visual with my monster binoculars I wonder if you might recommend filters for the moon and for deep sky stuff. I have the Hyperion eyepiece set up now which I believe has filter threads built in or between the components.

 

Many thanks

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For the Veil Nebula I use a Baader O111 filter.

 

Another good filter is the UHC filter. I have a link somewhere that shows what objects are best viewed through which filter I'll try and find it.

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1 minute ago, Doc said:

For the Veil Nebula I use a Baader O111 filter.

 

Another good filter is the UHC filter. I have a link somewhere that shows what objects are best viewed through which filter I'll try and find it.

This is very useful about nebula filters...

https://www.eastmidlandsstargazers.org.uk/topic/8655-filter-performance-comparisons-for-some-common-nebulae/

You will probably need some good attenuation on the moon with the massive light grasp you have so I would look at getting a pair of good quality low transmission neutral density moon filters. Variable polarizing filters won't work well as a pair, and you'll never adjust them identically to each eye.

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Just to echo points made above, I have the 2" Baader UHC + OIII filters, I also have the variable polarising moon filter which for using in a single EP is perfect for the moon, like Pete said above, if you were to have 2, getting them both identical would be a challenge.

 

A cheaper option to the Baader's is the Skywatcher UHC and OIII, people say you cant tell a difference between the Baader and the Skywatcher's, I wouldn't know, never looked through a Skywatcher filter.

 

Here are the links to the filters from FLO....

 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/uhc-oiii-visual-filters.html

 

Just noticed that FLO are now selling Explore Scientific, they are new, not seen or heard of ES doing filters.

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O3, Hbeta and Uhc for deep sky. 

Polarising for lunar.

planetary set of coloured filters for lunar and planetary

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Fantastic, thanks for the info, advice and links. :thumbsup:

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1 hour ago, Graham said:

Best thing to use as a filter is a ccd camera :2thumbsup:

 

I thought so until I looked through the beasty binos!! Maybe your 18" beasty will do the same!

Edited by silentrunning
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I find the UHC is more useful for my own efforts. The OIII works brilliantly on some objects, but darkens the view too much and drowns out any discernible detail. The UHC shows much more wispy detail in the Veil, and even brought out the North American Nebula.

I have the Skywatcher ones and they work fine for me.

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