colour filters advice please

[proflight2000]

Coloured filters, red, green, yellow, blue etc, can someone give me an idea of how they are best used??

[daz]

Best used for planetary and lunar viewing.

The different colours will enhance certain features of the object.

You can also use them in CCD imaging to produce RGB images (not with the DSLR though)

HTH

[Macavity]

If you can view PDF files online (or download), you might find this article instructive:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/astronomyhks/chapter/hack58.pdf (O'Reilly book)

FWIW, I bought a standard set of Antares 1.25" filters which use Wratten designations.

The general moral seems: "Not to expect miracles"? I have been more impressed by a

Baader contrast filter - There seem to be others of similar pursuasion here?

[FLO]

Coloured filters reduce the amount of light reaching the eyepiece so aren't really useful unless you have at least a six inch aperture.

Like Macavity, I have had more success using Baaders Contrast Booster, and Neodymium.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=bconbooster

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=bneodymium

[proflight2000]

Hi Steve, yes the neod filter you sent me a few weeks ago makes a very large difference in bringing down the glare from my local street lamps.

[FLO]

Its a pretty good filter for planets too

[The Warthog]

I have found the green and orange filters useful at full moon, to enhance the contrast between the maria and the highlands. I often use the yellow filter when viewing Jupiter and Mars, as it slightly enhances surface features on both. I haven't found it to make a big difference to Saturn. I prefer using an aperture mask to using a n-d filter. I have a UHC filter which increases contrast when viewing nebulae.

[michaelmorris]

From my experience, colour filters only make any really noticeable difference if you use the strong ones. i.e. dark green on Mars polar caps, deep red on Mars, deep Yellow on Saturn, dark blue on Jupiter etc. So you need a large bright object else the filter knock out too much of the light from the target to make it worth using them. From my limited experience (mainly on Mars), the best planetary contrast filter is the the Baader Neodymium filter. Whilst it's marketed as a very broadband light pollution reduction filter, it really brings out detail without introducing any signifcant colour distortion. I'm going to be interested to see it working on Jupiter later in the year.

[Rob]

Coloured filters reduce the amount of light reaching the eyepiece so aren't really useful unless you have at least a six inch aperture.

You beat me to it there Steve. 6inch scope upward only!. The baader contrast I found very good.

Rob

[michaelmorris]

I got excellent results with a Baader Neodymium filter on my 3" inch ETX scope. However, I concur with your conclusion about using strong coloured filters, 5" or 6" upwards.

[The Warthog]

Coloured filters reduce the amount of light reaching the eyepiece so aren't really useful unless you have at least a six inch aperture.

You beat me to it there Steve. 6inch scope upward only!. The baader contrast I found very good.

Rob

Which is another reason I have used only the Yellow filter on planets, although the blue is pretty reasonable in terms of transmission.

[Martin 2]

didnt someone post a list of the filters-their No's and their uses a while ago

M2

[michaelmorris]

didnt someone post a list of the filters-their No's and their uses a while ago

Try this - http://sciastro.net/portia/advice/filters.htm

[GazOC]

didnt someone post a list of the filters-their No's and their uses a while ago

M2

T'was me!!

http://stargazerslounge.co.uk/index.php?topic=1294.0