M57... Will it stand out with a filter?

[JulianFR]

I was really excited last night in clear skies to find M57... my first 'proper' deep sky object. It looked like a tiny smoke ring and although it was faint, by averting my eye it popped into view quite well.

However, I was surprised it was quite so small in my 8" Dob with 15mm Celestron Omni eyepiece, and not much different in the 10mm stock Sky Watcher ep.

So, my question is can I make M57 and other sights I eventually find (where IS the Andromeda

galaxy!?) stand out more with a filter? If so what type ... And which other filters would you recommend for a beginner?

Thanks, Julian

[John]

An UHC filter will enhance the contrast of nebulae such as M57 but won't make it appear larger. To make it look larger in the eyepiece try a bit more magnification. I often observe the Ring Nebula at 200x - this would be a 6mm eyepiece with your scope. It's quite a small object and can be overlooked as a blurry star at low power.

A much larger planetary nebula is M27, the Dumbell Nebula in Vulpecula. Thats well worth finding and appears like a hazy apple core in the eyepiece under a dark sky.

[JulianFR]

Ah yes, I was planning to look for M27 tonight with the help of Turn Left At Orion but it's turned cloudy after being perfect earlier

I'll give the 6mm a go when it's clear... I thought that size was only for planets (shows I'm a novice)!

Thanks for the filter tip ... Would you recommend any other filters (I only have a moon filter)?

[acey]

A nebula filter (e.g. UHC) will help with emission nebulae (e.g. M57, M27) but nothing else - it makes stars and galaxies (eg M31) fainter, not brighter. The value of light pollution filters depends on the type and extent of light pollution in your area. Take a punt if you like, but don't expect too much (in fact, don't expect anything, just feel lucky if you see a difference).

Emission nebula give off light at specific wavelengths: a nebula filter lets through these wavelengths and blocks the rest (in theory at least). So they don't make things brighter, rather they enhance contrast, making the object more conspicuous. The downside is that they make stars dimmer, and in some cases this can make nebulae less interesting to look at (e.g. if you're hoping to see the central star). Also the "Blinking Planetary" (NGC 6826) doesn't blink if you look at it through a filter. But sometimes a filter can mean the difference between seeing or not seeing an object, and that's worth it.

I bought a Lumicon UHC filter years ago and have never felt the need to buy any other filter.

[Naemeth]

With the ring, as it is a planetary nebula, up the magnification to get more detail. It's either that or up the aperture of course ..

[AndyWB]

I found that a Baader UHC-s filter helped with seeing M57. I wrote up a first and second light about it:

Turns out my best view of it so far is from under a town's light pollution and a rising moon - albeit with the filter and clear sky.

[JulianFR]

Many thanks for the advice everyone. Must admit I'm unsure if the filter IS worthwhile given some of the comments, but I think I'll try one and see. I'm learning a lot on this site ... And it's all fascinating!

[John]

Many thanks for the advice everyone. Must admit I'm unsure if the filter IS worthwhile given some of the comments, but I think I'll try one and see. I'm learning a lot on this site ... And it's all fascinating!

There are some objects where a UHC or an O-III filter makes a really significant difference, others where it's subtle. I don't tend to use my O-III filter on M57 or M27 as I find the filterless views enjoyable when the skies are dark. The Veil and Owl nebulae respond really strongly to the filter though so I use it a lot on those objects and some others.

Personally I find the views of the Veil Nebula, which is a complex and wonderful object, would justify the cost of owning a decent UHC or O-III filter on their own