Advice with some eyepieces and filters

[danielbd100]

Hi everyone im a newbie to this site and an amateur astronomer. I would like some peoples advice on some eyepieces and filters.

First the eyepieces, i was thinking between the 3x Televue and the Genuine Baader Ortho. Maybe even both but i dont know there capabilities. What would i be able to see with the Televue that i cant see with the Ortho? Next the filters, I was advised to get a UHC filter, UV/IR filter. I want to look at the Orion Nebula and get a nice crisp coloured image. Last thing, i wanted to get a h alpha solar filter but they are all so expensive, the cheaper ones arent h alpha and the image are not the same. Any sites where i can buy any cheap ones would be helpful. Im sorry its a bit all over the place but any help would be appreciated. I have a Celestron Nexstar 6 se if that helps at all. 1500mm focal length, 150mm aperture and 354x mag.

[Chris H]

First off no eyepieces or barrows will enable you to see a nice coloured image you may if your lucky detect a hint of green in the Orion nebula but that is about it as far as DSO's go. Planets will be more colourful Mars and Jupiter in particular.

Your scope is a good one and will provide you with some excellent views but not usually at x354 more often than not you will be restricted to x250 or much less, this is due to atmospheric conditions.

Living in London you may find a good light pollution filter will be of benefit and as for ep's you want a spread of powers from low to high power. Have a read of Warthogs sticky on choosing ep's http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/80772-eyepieces-very-least-you-need.html

[swamp thing]

Hi Daniel

Not sure what you mean by a "3x Televue"? As this sounds like a Barlow lens not an eyepiece.

A Barlow lens is used in conjunction with an eyepiece. Never on it's own visually.

The Baader genuine orthos are excellent eyepieces that would work very well with your scope. It would help if we knew what focal length eyepiece you are after.

Seeing colour in extended deep sky objects is very rare. The Orion nebula however is bright enough to allow this BUT whether or not you are able to see any, seems to depend more on your eyesight than anything else.

Some see colour easily in it, others never see it at all.

Personally I would just use the scope a while and enjoy yourself before worrying about filters and the like.

You have a nice scope there it should keep you amused for a long time.

Regards Steve

[newman]

Hi Daniel

Seeing colour in extended deep sky objects is very rare. The Orion nebula however is bright enough to allow this BUT whether or not you are able to see any, seems to depend more on your eyesight than anything else.

Regards Steve

True, though I'd be surprised if he'd be able to see any color in it with a 150mm scope, perfect eyesight or not. Maybe on a night of perfect seeing.. but I doubt it. 10" dobs and above, that I'll believe. Otherwise, I wouldn't expect color. The human eye isn't sensitive to color in low light conditions, and most of the DSO's we view are really dim - which is why one needs not only good eyesight, but a large aperture scope to see hints of color. Even then, you can forget about colorful, Hubble-like images.

[Chris H]

The 6SE comes with a 25mm ep so I think the op means should he buy a 3x barlow (not barrow as I put above) to give himself x180 or a BGO in a short focal length, like an 9mm.

[Grunthos]

You ain't going to find a cheap H alpha filter for a 6SE (although we can dream about it). Would you want to trust your eyesight to cheap?

If you are really into solar observation might be worth thinking about buying a dedicated PST (something like this?).

Think again about making your own solar filter from solar film. Lots of good fun to be had (and a venus transit coming up in June 2012!).

Photo attached of home made solar filter in action (Thousand Oaks RG safety film).

I took mine to work back in August 2008 to view a partial solar eclipse.

The entire office turned out to have a look.

[John]

On the H-Alpha thing, it's a very specialised area and it's not just done with a single filter either. Much better (and less expensive) to get a PST or similar dedicated solar scope if you want to view the sun in H-Alpha light.

Viewing the sun in white light is quite affordable with the sort of gear pictured above although you cannot see the solar prominences in white light.

You also ask a reasonable question on eyepieces "What would i be able to see with the Televue that i cant see with the Ortho?". The truth is the most expensive eyepiece won't show you any more than a low cost one. What they do is to show a little more contrast, a wider field of view (or a narrower one) and some are slightly sharper than others. Your scope is an F/10 which does not really need very expensive eyepieces to give great performance.