In fact, I bought both an O-III (cancelled order) and a Hydrogen-Beta and was planning on getting an
So, what's the story? Can I use filters when observing? (Clearly, that's true.) And--more to the point--what are the parameters?
Thanks!
Mike M.
I have color filters and I no longer use them much. I'm finding the Baader Solar continuum filter is enough. However I haven't given the @j.gardavsky blue filter for galaxy hunting a fair trial. His reasoning for it working is sound.Ylem wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 2:46 am Even though I have a bunch of filters lying around, I haven't used them in years. If I recall the Olll was the most useful, but only in the 8" scopes.
The coloured ones didn't seem to do much, I tried the yellow on the ST80, thinking it might help with CA, Not.
The Mars filter helped out a bit last year, but only in the 8 again.
I will have to dig them all out tomorrow and see all that I have and give them another chance.
Yes,Bigzmey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:56 pm Lots of good advices already. I should add that the quality of filters is of most importance. Cheap filters introduce light scatter which degrades performance. My trusted brands are Lumicon, Astronomik and Baader.
I add my vote for OIII and Hbeta filters. I also never leave home without Baader Moon and Sky Glow and Baader Contrast Booster filters. I use them as planetary filters for Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. I also use Baader Moon and Sky Glow as light pollution filter to pull galaxies, globular clusters and comets from light domes. The effect is subtle, but often makes difference between seeing faint smudge and not seeing anything at all.
Good to hear that your experience matches mine, JG. I had DGM GCE "galaxy" filter in the past but found that Baader Moon and Sky Glow filter produces better results.j.gardavsky wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 8:47 pmYes,Bigzmey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:56 pm Lots of good advices already. I should add that the quality of filters is of most importance. Cheap filters introduce light scatter which degrades performance. My trusted brands are Lumicon, Astronomik and Baader.
I add my vote for OIII and Hbeta filters. I also never leave home without Baader Moon and Sky Glow and Baader Contrast Booster filters. I use them as planetary filters for Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. I also use Baader Moon and Sky Glow as light pollution filter to pull galaxies, globular clusters and comets from light domes. The effect is subtle, but often makes difference between seeing faint smudge and not seeing anything at all.
it is difficult to explain why the Baader Moon and Sky Glow filter sometimes works on some galaxies.
Having a pair of these filters, unexpectedly, I have been able to see some condensations in the M66 galaxy in Leo through the 25x100 binoculars.
There is also an ongoing discussion about observing the galaxies from the backyard through the filters in
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/7650 ... ry11043864
There are more things in Heaven, than are dreamed of in the popular filter lists,
JG
PS : Sorry for borrowing from Shakespeare
Nice set of filters there. This is why Lumicon is my #1 choice. They not only have some of the highest transmission for OIII and Hbeta bands, but they also accurately list the actual measurements for each individual filter. I have tested quite few on the spectrophotometer in my lab and their numbers are dead on.
Whoever you are referring to more likely has a life that is quite pleasant and gratifying to them which is simply not understood by you. The pairing of "nothing personal" with the personal attack "someone without a life" is a hilarious example of self contradiction. Logic jokes are a genre of humor that is quite fertilemikemarotta wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:47 pm ............
I mean -- nothing personal here and now -- but some TransGalactic ranked user with 5000 posts and 9000 hearts is just someone without a life.
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mikemarotta wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:47 pm Thanks to all. My interest was (is) in the O-iii and H-beta.
I am not sure how been passionate about astronomy and overdoing it is "no life". What is the life then, Facebook and watching TV?notFritzArgelander wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 10:43 pmWhoever you are referring to more likely has a life that is quite pleasant and gratifying to them which is simply not understood by you. The pairing of "nothing personal" with the personal attack "someone without a life" is a hilarious example of self contradiction. Logic jokes are a genre of humor that is quite fertilemikemarotta wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:47 pm ............
I mean -- nothing personal here and now -- but some TransGalactic ranked user with 5000 posts and 9000 hearts is just someone without a life.
............
I hear you Bill. Messing with filters in the dark could be annoying in particular when you have a manual mount and the target is rotating away. My answer to that is a filter wheel. Once you make it part of your setup changing filters is fast and pleasant. It also make blinking much easier to.WilliamPaolini wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 10:44 pmmikemarotta wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:47 pm Thanks to all. My interest was (is) in the O-iii and H-beta.
Hi Mike. I have a good spread of filters, but in the end I do not use them routinely. For the most part I find the improvements they provide are not significant enough (for me) to make them a normal part of my routine observing. Instead, I use them when I know my observing is going to be focussed on something in particular and I am not out for general observing. So I think the first consideration in an answer to your question is just how motivated you will be with filters and if you will not mind popping filters in and out all the time as you observe. For some they do not mind the added complexity, but others do mind. So first you need to ask yourself which category do you fall into.
As far as O-III and H-Beta, I have both. The H-Beta I have tried many times and do not find it very useful in my 4" to 8" scopes at either dark or light polluted sites. The O-III to me can be interesting on many targets to get a different view of the subject. Now not a "better" view, but a "different" (and some times rewarding) view. So it is useful to have around. With that filter, I also like to have a broader bandwidth UHC handy as well, one that lets stars through nicely without showing too much split-red in the star points(i.e., I like the broader UHCs that do not pass the red bands). I find that the UHCs that do not pass the red bands been the star field view more natural so like them more. I also like the broader band filters because they make the view look like I am at a location that is slightly darker and transparent then were I actually am. So it is like taking a trip to a slightly better site in an instant and I can still enjoy the rich context of the surrounding stars in theFOV . The more aggressive UHCs and the O-III can really wink out any surrounding stars in theFOV as they just cater to the nebula. This is nice to have for sure as it can reveal more structure in the nebula (which means not necessarily greater extent to the nebula FYI).
So bottom line for me is a good O-III and a broader UHC that does not transmit the reds are my preference. So with those I get a nice naked eye view with all the stars present, an improved nebula view with most of the contextual stars still present, and then the aggressive view for revealing the internal structures of the nebula better. So those two filters for nebula, then a Baader Contrast Booster plus a #8 Light Yellow and #82A Pale Blue for planetary handle all situations nicely for my needs as an observer in that category above where my preference is always to make my observing less complex so will only add the complexity of filters for when my observing focus really requires them.
All that one can see on this board is the passion and effort devoted to astronomy. Maybe there is a glimmer of other passions in off topic areas. Speaking only for myself I also spend considerable time making music, reading classic literature (just finishing a retraversal of Dostoevsky), spending time with family and a very few select friends, and continuing explorations of comparative religion, archeology, and mathematical physics. I certainly have a much richer inner life since I've retired. Occasionally I think of going back to work, but I am having too much fun.Bigzmey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 11:03 pmI am not sure how been passionate about astronomy and overdoing it is "no life". What is the life then, Facebook and watching TV?notFritzArgelander wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 10:43 pmWhoever you are referring to more likely has a life that is quite pleasant and gratifying to them which is simply not understood by you. The pairing of "nothing personal" with the personal attack "someone without a life" is a hilarious example of self contradiction. Logic jokes are a genre of humor that is quite fertilemikemarotta wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:47 pm ............
I mean -- nothing personal here and now -- but some TransGalactic ranked user with 5000 posts and 9000 hearts is just someone without a life.
............
Well, I was not thinking of this board at all, or of a couple others that are even smaller. It was the one big board.notFritzArgelander wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 11:18 pmAll that one can see on this board is the passion and effort devoted to astronomy. Maybe there is a glimmer of other passions in off topic areas. Speaking only for myself I also spend considerable time making music, lactic ranked user with 5000 posts and 9000 hearts is just someone without a life.notFritzArgelander wrote: Whoever you are referring to more likely has a life that is quite pleasant and gratifying to them which is simply not understood by you. The pairing of "nothing personal" with the personal attack "someone without a life" is a hilarious example of self contradiction. Logic jokes are a genre of humor that is quite fertile
I am not sure how been passionate about astronomy and overdoing it is "no life". What is the life then, Facebook and watching TV?
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