Moon Filter Necessary with 8" Dob?

[Peter Drew]

Never use a filter on my 20" and I don't DSO hunt on moonlight nights.   

 

 

[Mak the Night]

On 03/06/2016 at 16:34, Rich_B said:

Hi 

Will I need a moon filter for lunar observations with my soon to arrive 8" Dob?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the brightness may be blinding without one.

Many thanks

Rich

There are a lot of factors to this. For me, where I live, a Full Moon can light up my back garden like a floodlight. Even observing it at magnifications of 250x - 300x I find it very bright. My eyes are quite light sensitive naturally anyway. Also, a near Full Moon can produce the phenomenon of light irradiation or glaring which can obscure fainter lunar features such as ghost craters, so a Neutral Density filter can compensate for this without producing false colour. Neodymium filters are also good for use on bright lunar targets as well. Various Wratten coloured filters can be useful for extra contrast and don't have to be expensive. Wratten #8 Light Yellow, #80A Blue and #82A Light Blue are all useful for lunar viewing.

Baader Neodymium and Blue 80A and 82A filters:

Baader Neodymium and Baader ND 0.9 filters:

[John]

I don't use a moon filter with any of my scopes which range from 4" to 12" in aperture. I do actually have one but I only use it for public viewing sessions if someone says they would prefer a dimmer image.

 

[Steve]

I must be weak 

Either that or the Dob Mob members are extra tough! 

[Tim]

The moon hurts my eyes too, and as I usually observe with just one eye, can make a weird half blind effect which lasts for a good few minutes, as one eye has dilated pupils and one contracted, I don't think my brain can handle the contradiction

I find screw on filters very effective, and have a preference for red, although that may well be just because the red filters also make a great high contrast photographic filter, I even use my Ha filter sometimes.

 

Cheers

[Mak the Night]

2 hours ago, Tim said:

The moon hurts my eyes too, and as I usually observe with just one eye, can make a weird half blind effect which lasts for a good few minutes, as one eye has dilated pupils and one contracted, I don't think my brain can handle the contradiction

I find screw on filters very effective, and have a preference for red, although that may well be just because the red filters also make a great high contrast photographic filter, I even use my Ha filter sometimes.

 

Cheers

Yeah, that's what I find with the 'weird half blind effect' it can be quite disorienting. Mind you, observing clouds rushing past the lunar surface at high magnification makes me feel giddy sometimes lol. Of course, there's always binoviewers I suppose. I don't know how mine will work with my Newtonian though.

[Tim]

6 hours ago, Mak the Night said:

Mind you, observing clouds rushing past the lunar surface at high magnification makes me feel giddy sometimes lol. 

I've actually fallen against the wall of my obsy because of that effect!

 

[spaceman_spiff]

I have a variable ND filter (it uses two polaroid filters that rotate relative to each other to block or allow light). I adjust it if I feel my eyes getting tired.

Dan.

[Mak the Night]

1 hour ago, Tim said:

I've actually fallen against the wall of my obsy because of that effect!

 

It's scary!

[Charic]

.....nothing to do with the bubbles from your avatar Tim?

[John]

I can't see the point of putting another piece of glass between me and the image if I don't need it there

When I observe the Moon it's invariably using reasonably high magnifications and that dims the image. I just don't find that I need to dim it further by filtering.

I appreciate that others prefer a different approach though.

 

[Timebandit]

Hello. I don't use a filter in any of my scopes frac or 14 inch dob. I love the purity of a clear bright sharp view and putting filters in the way just takes this away. Most lunar views are at very high magnifications and getting as bright a view as possible with such high magnifications I think is a bonus and enhances the view, as such then the last thing you want is to dim a view at high magnifications. You want to be walking on the moon with your eyes with as little interference as possible.

IMO save your money on filters and instead invest it in quality eyepieces, it will be a lot better spent in that department IMO. I hope this helps☺       

[Dave In Vermont]

So, Rich, I hope you've enjoyed your 'tour-de-differing opinions here in SGL. Just look at all the answers to your original query, first posed in the long-ago times of June 3rd!

    ,

Dave

[N3ptune]

To watch the moon I use 2 strong white led torch to illuminate the area, to prevent too much dark adaptation. But I also use a variable polarizing filter except for my 4.7mm EP (212x) where I use the great neodymium planetary filter to enhance details. Watching the moon at low power is causing major discomfort for me, like 40x, 50x, even with small 130mm reflector.

[Tim]

22 hours ago, Charic said:

.....nothing to do with the bubbles from your avatar Tim?

Heh, no, that's just a nod in memory of Per, he helped me a lot.

[Tim]

21 hours ago, N3ptune said:

To watch the moon I use 2 strong white led torch to illuminate the area, to prevent too much dark adaptation. But I also use a variable polarizing filter except for my 4.7mm EP (212x) where I use the great neodymium planetary filter to enhance details. Watching the moon at low power is causing major discomfort for me, like 40x, 50x, even with small 130mm reflector.

Yes, I tend to keep the door to the warm room open with a light on when observing the moon. I only really go for the moon if performing optical tests on review gear, it wouldn't be my first choice of target

[Charic]

24 minutes ago, Tim said:

Heh, no, that's just a nod in memory of Per, he helped me a lot.

Nice one!

[N3ptune]

5 hours ago, Tim said:

 I only really go for the moon if performing optical tests on review gear, it wouldn't be my first choice of target

The moon has a lifetime amount of material for sketching. It's also a great source of inspiration for the imagination, which brings a boost of consciousness and even some magic, for example: A lot of people are saying there are ancient buildings on the surface of the moon... I can't help it, it's kind of fun to inspect the surface while asking myself: Can this be true?

(: Imagination and art, I like to escape into this imaginary world.

Some people are into science and mathematics, and that must be really great also. They say that when you can understand the maths, you can live in an unique world where everything can be converted into an equation. Everything can be everything, it's crazy!

I totally love the moon.

 

[Mak the Night]

Great Moon Hoax

[Dave In Vermont]

4 hours ago, N3ptune said:

The moon has a lifetime amount of material for sketching. It's also a great source of inspiration for the imagination, which brings a boost of consciousness and even some magic, for example: A lot of people are saying there are ancient buildings on the surface of the moon... I can't help it, it's kind of fun to inspect the surface while asking myself: Can this be true?

.........................................................................................................................

I totally love the moon.

 

If you, or most people, stare for awhile at a white wall, random patterns begin to emerge - connected and perhaps facilitated by a few smudges and maybe a shadow or two. And the mind doesn't much care for chaos, so these patterns begin to organize themselves into elaborate, and more elaborate still, patterns that may include buildings. Or dragons. Or - you get what I'm driving at.

And through this inherent intolerance for randomness, thus was born architecture and roads and ever more and more complex structures. This would also serve to explain why we see things like dragons & elves cavorting across the sky in the clouds. Or 'ancient buildings' on the Moon.

Hypothesis du Jour has been served,

Dave

[Tim]

I get that. It is also the biggest source of light pollution to affect the whole world

And with a thousand lifetimes worth of deep sky targets just waiting to be photographed, I'm always glad when the moon is less than 20%. 

Tim

[jabeoo1]

I love a filter for lunar through my 10 ", personally its an essential. 

[nicks90]

i very rarely look at the moon, but when i do its way too bright in my 12" dob.

as i dont have a moon filter, i actually plug in my UHC!!!

 

yes it makes the moon a funny colour, but the views it provides are almost 3D. Same goes for jupiter, i find it brings out a tremendous amount of detail if you can ignore the funky colour.

[Moonshane]

It's the same kind of brightness as a sunlit tarmac road. If you cannot walk about and look at that without sunglasses then a filter might be a good idea. Not essential and it's not possible to hurt your eyes looking at the moon through any scope. I just let me iris do the filtering. Give it a few minutes and the brightness settles down. Sometimes if you are tired or have e.g. hay fever it might be a bit bright to be comfortable.

[N3ptune]

8 hours ago, Dave In Vermont said:

If you, or most people, stare for awhile at a white wall, random patterns begin to emerge - connected and perhaps facilitated by a few smudges and maybe a shadow or two. And the mind doesn't much care for chaos, so these patterns begin to organize themselves into elaborate, and more elaborate still, patterns that may include buildings

I agree with that 100%, I take advantage of that brain phenomenon (: (i don't see why not do it)

7 hours ago, Tim said:

I get that. It is also the biggest source of light pollution to affect the whole world

I think it'a a good thing to be able to watch the DSO's only half of the month. The waiting period could in fact be a good thing, keeping the motivation level always up: The less I can see the DSO's the more I want to see them but I can enjoy the mandatory cycle spectacle meanwhile.  Today it's a sun day for me, I will fully enjoy the sun.

((: