Repurposing microscopy filters for the astronomy eyepieces

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j.gardavsky Germany
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Repurposing microscopy filters for the astronomy eyepieces

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Post by j.gardavsky »


Hello all,

thanks to the Covid boredom, I have removed the filters from the Carl Zeiss Jena FLUO -RF-RED-0 filter wheel and checked them out with the spectroscope:

O is just an AR-coated blanc glass.

The RED is a long pass (630nm) filter.
Unlike the astronomy red filters, this Zeiss is free from any fluorescence due to the UV and blue-violet absorption of light by the color centers in filter glass, an annoying fluorescent contrast loss when viewing the Moon and the bright planets.
So, this clean will be one of my Mars filters for 2020.

The third filter RF is a blue-green-yellow pass with a long wavelength cut at 630nm. It may become handy or not, who knows.

The reason, why I have spent 25 EUR on this filter wheel is the blue interference filter FL UO, even if I already have two blue(RGB)CCD filters from Baader and one blue interference filter from Balzers (Principality of Liechtenstein).

And now, what is so special about the blue FL UO Zeiss.

This remarkable filter cuts away the OIII doublet and any light with longer wavelength, and passes the short wavelengths from H-Beta through the blue Balmer Series down to the UV around 380nm.

And this is pretty exactly what’s needed when the OIII emission in the ionized hydrogen nebulae is to be suppressed, and when the other Balmer emission lines are needed, as the H-Beta might not be enough for visual. Other applications are the blue OB stars associations, and the OB-dominated spiral arms in the galaxies.

The design of the blue Zeiss filter is shown in the pic,

JG
CZJ interference filter blue passband.jpg
What makes a difference to the other, and especially to the astronomy interference filters, is the design of a sandwich with three glass plates.
The front mirrors show at the normal incidence of white light a yellowish color reflection, similarly to the Baader blue(RGB)CCD filters.
The thin ring of the multilayer stack has been left at the edge of the mirror for the QC purpose.

The sophisticated design of this filter is expected to suppress any leakage of light with the unwanted long wavelength well below 0.1%
Even if this filter has been manufactured before 1990, there are no traces of disintegration of the layers visible.
The quality control notes are written with a pencil on the filter rim.

Thank you for reading and looking,
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
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Bigzmey United States of America
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Re: Repurposing microscopy filters for the astronomy eyepieces

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Post by Bigzmey »


Special glass for special occasions. Thanks for the report JG!
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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j.gardavsky Germany
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Re: Repurposing microscopy filters for the astronomy eyepieces

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Post by j.gardavsky »


Filter KP 500nm from Carl Zeiss West Germany

Hello all,

here is another filter, the short pass blue from the visible UV up to 500nm, useable for the astronomy,
Zeiss West KP 500.jpg
This filter is a sandwich from a thick glass plate with the interference layers, and from a very thin glass plate with another interference layers.
It's counterpart is the Baader blue(RGB)CCD, with a UV cut at 400nm, and more opened above 500nm in green.

Thank you for looking,
JG
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism
Leica 82mm APO Televid
Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos
Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon
Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
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