Moon Filter...worth buying?

[dark_marc]

Thinking about how to increase Moons contrast. Is it worth buying a moon filter (or other)?

Thanks

M

[Moonshane]

personally I think not. I use the baader neodymium filter as a planetary filter on Jupiter and Mars and also as a moon filter when needed although usually it's not unless more than about 60% full. I can certainly recommend the baader.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I do like using a moon filter, especially at lower to intermediate magnification. Mine is an Orion Optics one, which has good quality. The image is a bit easier on the eyes.

[knobby]

Sunglasses... Free and you can then seeing you really need to buy one

[bish]

I sometimes use a filter on the moon to reduce the initial glare, but not that often.

[mitchelln]

+1 for the Baader neodymium filter as it can be used for planetary as well.

[ronl]

I do like to use a moon filter, I find it darkens the shadows which I think

gives a little more depth, I think it depends on personal choice, and how

good or bad a persons eyes are, for me anything to bright tends to be

uncomfortable.

[Hals]

I have one but tend not to use it mainly because when I'm doing lunar observations I won't be looking at anything else. Any glare your eye quickly compensates for but if you're going to look at other objects too then by all means use one.

[Astro Imp]

I have one and rarely use it, I just don't seem to get anything from it.

[umadog]

I don't like them. I see more detail without a filter. The brightness of the moon is not high in an absolute sense, it just seems bright because you're dark adapted when you look at it. I suggest you don't use a filter and just let your eye light-adapt. A more light adapted eye is capable of higher resolution vision so your moon views will be better without the filter.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I dont use a Moon filter any more, but i have found in the past that a Skywatcher light pollution filter gives better contrast then the Celestron Moon filter i got in an EP kit.

To be honest, you dont need a Moon filter. It takes away the glare when the Moon is near full, but at that phase of the lunar cycle there really isnt much detail to see anyway.

[astrosathya]

Hi,

Several years ago, when I still used my 6 inch f/10 Newtonian, I looked at the full moon for about a minute without a moon filter. Take my word, my right eye was watery for over two days after that. I always use a moon fiter for my observation, and depending on the scope, you can use a 25% filter for upto 6 inches, and 13% for anything larger, you even get 9% one.

[beans4]

I have a 25% filter from Orion, I bought it before really doing any research but i did have the chance to try it out last month during a full moon. By comparison, it helps dim things down and is a more immediate comfort to your eyes. If you are unsure, see if you can borrow one or attend an astronomy club's public viewing to get a hands on idea.

[Richardisgreat]

I gree with beans4, i have the 13% one and i find it makes viewing more comfortable, especially on the nights of a bright full moon. For me i didnt notice any extra detail or depth just the fact that my eyes were not straining with the glare. If you can try before you buy then i would do so. Give Alan at skies the limit a shout, hes a very nice man and may very well be able to help you out there.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I dont use one personally, i like to see the Moon in its full glory and brightness. That being said, i have never actually used one on my own telescope, so cannot really compare the views.

[Grotemobile]

http://www.firstligh...oon-filter.html

This is what i use.I have a 2", & the 1.25.No way, would

i be with out them.Picked both of them up, s/h and for

£20 each.My scope is a C11, so the moon, really is

bright through this scope.

Steve.

[swamp thing]

I don't bother with them either.

Look up at the moon with your unaided eye, does it hurt your eyes? If so get a filter, if not, don't bother, it's no brighter through any scope.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I don't bother with them either.

Look up at the moon with your unaided eye, does it hurt your eyes? If so get a filter, if not, don't bother, it's no brighter through any scope.

That reasoning is not quite correct, as the moon with the naked eye might have a smaller surface brightness, but the total amount of light entering your eye with a telescope is larger. Another important difference is that both eyes receive the same amount with the naked eye, or with binoculars, but not with a telescope. In my view, the problem is not so much that the moon is too bright to cause real discomfort. The problem is that after looking at the moon one eye is no longer dark adapted, and you feel as if it has been blinded. With binoviewers you have no such problem.

[AndyWB]

This seems to get asked a lot (I asked it too) and I think the rule of thumb is "try it, and if the moon is uncomfortably bright, get a filter". It seems to vary depending on the individual - some find it fine, others uncomfortable, and some just don't like staggering around like a one-eyed man afterwards.

One other alternative - increase your magnification. This will cut the brightness, though obviously at the expense of field of view.

I got a Baader Neodymium filter for this, but to be honest, to my eyes it doesn't cut the moon's glow that much, or improve contrast (Nice on Jupiter though). Mostly, I just use magnification, and leave any lunar observations to the end of the night...

[AlexB67]

I have never used one, so I can't really say , that being said the views I get as they are I am happy with, so I have not been tempted to see it as something to get early on In the closet of my accessories. I would imagine with a bigger bucket everything else being equal it would start to get very bright. It is a bright already with 130mm aperture, Certainly I find looking at the moon is bright enough to make observing anything else a no go until dark adapted again. Usually when the moon is out this time of year, so far I haven't looked at anything else anyway. The few evening I set aside for lunar viewing turned out to be just that, and not much else.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have found many people (myself included) seriously dislike moon filters because their first encounter was with the horrible greenish-bits-of-plastic-posing-as-optical-filter which are included with many telescopes and EP kits. These are worse than useless. They turn a quality Plossl or Ortho into a low-grade Symmetric Ramsden lookalike (remember those SR-4 EPs supplied with 60mm scope (with a Barlow!!) to reach 340x). Since I got an Orion Optics glass 2" moon filter I quite like using it (not often, because I do not look at the moon often). For critical, high-power work I remove it (thanks to the joys of a Denkmeier Filter-Switch diagonal)

[LeeB]

I like a moon filter as it reduces the glare and allows your pupil to open a little, so as to not vignette on lower power eyepieces when the exit pupil is to large.

[robbie c]

I have one that I got second hand used it a couple of times but I think I prefer to see the moon without

[nightfisher]

I some times use a revelation ND96 moon filter, not very often but at times it seems to help a little in lower power views, but as Michael says pushing up the magnification also help darken the view

[swamp thing]

That reasoning is not quite correct, as the moon with the naked eye might have a smaller surface brightness, but the total amount of light entering your eye with a telescope is larger.

Wrong way round Michael. The moon has maximum surface brightness with the naked eye alone, but total light can be more entering the scope..