Light polution

[MJP]

Just a quick query. I am viewing from a town centre site and get a fair amount of light polution. I am using a 120mm refractor. Is it worth considering a larger scope (a reflector I guess because of the price) or will I just pick up more polution as well as more starlight and be back where I started?

Mike

[James]

A larger scope will show you more regardless of the light pollution but there will feel like there's an element of picking up more light pollution at the same time. The one thing that more aperture will allow is the use of filters such as UHC and OIII filters. These aren't light pollution filters as such but they block off a lot of the light to allow a few wavelengths through which can make objects such as emission nebulae much more visible.

James

[PeterW]

Bigger scopes will always beat smaller ones, but they lose much of their potential under light pollution. Not only the light that gets in the front end of the scope, but also by affecting your ability to fully dark adapt. If you can screen out nearby lights and baffle your scope, you maybe able to make improvements. As said light pollution filters cut out light and can make finding things hard as some tend to also kill off the stars too.

Cheers,

PEter