First light with new UHC-S Filter - Friday the 13th January 2012

[David Smith]

Used the vouchers I received for Christmas and lashed out on a Baader UHC-S filter. First opportunity to use it tonight and although I was not out for long I am quite impressed.

My target, as you might guess, was the Orion Nebula, an object I have observed many times in my 20+ years of active observing. Normally I use my 26mm 2inch eyepiece for this object as it frames it quite nicely but I purchased the 1.25 inch filter (all of my other eyepieces are 1.25") and so had to eperiment a bit with best focal length to use. Never really settled the argument in my head but switched between my 32mm to 20mm Revelation Plossls. May have to invest in a similar focal length eyepiece with a 1.25 inch barrel.

Initially I could not see much of a change with the filter in place (other than a dimming of the stars and a slight colour shift), but gradually as my eye got used to what it was seeing more and more detail came out. Normally I see two slim...ish wings of nebulosity joined in a rough V shape at the trapezium. With the UHC these wings are much wider and there is structure within them. The surrounding cloud becomes visible and no longer fits in the field of view of my 20mm eyepiece! The whole things take on a more 3 dimensional feel with the aforementioned wings arcing over a deeper shell of faintly structured nebulosity.

After this I did have a quick look at the belt stars in Orion and was able to detect nebulosity around each of them. I was hoping the I might be able to glimpse M78 (one of those objects I just can't get off my "Messier - Yet To See" list) but try as I did I could not detect it.

Overall, well impressed with the results on M42 and looking forward to trying the UHC on some other targets.

[John]

Nice report David.

I've always had a soft spot for the UHC-S filter as it showed me my 1st ever views of the Veil Nebula with my 100mm and 80mm refractors.

It's worth trying it on M1 (the Crab nebula) and M97 (the Owl nebula) as it will make these objects easier to see, substantially so in the case of the Owl.

[David Smith]

Thanks John

Just spent some time this morning researching some good targets for my new acquisition and M1 and M97 both made that list. I have seen both of these objects before without filtration so will be interesting to see the difference the UHC makes.

Searching the forum has revealed a wealth of information on this subject, should keep me at the eyepiece for a while!

[swamp thing]

Hi David

Nice report. Interesting read.

Nebulae filters cannot help with M78 as it is a reflection nebula.

Reflection nebulae are reflecting the very spectra that the filter is filtering out.

Regards Steve

[David Smith]

Steve

Thanks - Explains why I still failed to see M78. No substitute for dark skies where M78 is concerned I guess.

[Nosivad]

Hi David, I bought the same filter a few weeks before Christmas and I also downloaded a list of emission nebulae from the internet. If you like I could send it to you. It's a word document and 1.5 pages long.

[Double Kick Drum]

I was hoping to test my UHC-S out last night for the first time but seeing was at least 0.5 of a magnitude from ideal in my back garden and I couldn't conclusively see the Crab nebula.

The scope dewed up before I got to M42. Doh!

Let's hope it is clearer tonight.

[David Smith]

Hi David, I bought the same filter a few weeks before Christmas and I also downloaded a list of emission nebulae from the internet. If you like I could send it to you. It's a word document and 1.5 pages long.

Would be much appreciated. Assume you can send via PM? (Still quite new to this Forum thing )

[Nosivad]

I'll have a try.

[Nosivad]

It won't allow me to attach the document to the PM so if you send me your email address I'll send it that way.

[David Smith]

Assuming I have done it correctly, it should be on it's way to you.

[m.tweedy]

if you are interested here are some lists for you.

the planetary nebula one half way down the list may be useful

Downloadable Observing Guides

[David Smith]

Thanks Michael. Have bookmarked the page as well as there appears to be a lot of information on there.

[David Smith]

So, got a second bite at the cherry last night. Firstly, went back to M78 and managed to pick it up this time. Discovered I was actually looking in the wrong place anyway at last obs!

M1 - jury is still out on the impact of filtration on this one in my opinion. Marginal increase in contrast with the background sky, will repeat obs of this object and see if my opinion changes.

M97 - UHC helps to bring this one out quite nicely but even better is the OIII filter, which gives a big boost in contrast.

Spent some more time in Orion last night with the UHC, picking up some of the NGC's in that area (1980, 1977 etc).

Just part of a 4 hour session last night. Hopefully more to come tonight as I now have quite a list of objects to look for.

Thanks all for your guidance / suggestions.