Question by ozzrya91: Filters for telescope?
Hey, I use a Zhumell Dobsonian reflector 10inch telescope.
The eyepieces that I generally use are
30mm zhumell plossl- 2in.- 41.6x
26mm Meade plossl- 1.25in.- 48x
9mm zhumell plossl- 1.25in.- 139x
5mm baader hyperion- 1.25/2in- 250x
I find myself looking mostly at Saturn, Mars and the Orion nebula lately. I want to look into getting a filter or filters for both planetary viewing and DSO viewing.
If there is a multi purpose filter out there that is good for both and not too costy please post the name and brand[s] and a link if you can.
I have found a few filters which have caught my eye.
Baader Planetarium UHC-S Nebula Telescope Filter –
TeleVue Bandmate Mars Type-B Filter – 5
TeleVue Bandmate Mars Type-A Telescope Filter – 5
Orion Mars Observation Filter –
Are there any of these filters that you would or would not recommend? Have you yourself used any of these filters? Let me know your opinion on the filters.
I want to see more detail on Mars but finding the details is hard to do and I understand that with primitive telescopes Galileo and many others could spot details but I want to have an easier time finding the details because my Dob10 isnt GoTo or electronic so by the time I start to carefully recognize Martian detail Mars will have drifted out of my FoV. I typically like viewing Mars at about 250x with my 5mm Baader hyperion eyepiece which gives me about 68 deg. FoV. Would buying a Mars filter of any kind be helpful to my viewing? Or should I say worth it? Its at a time of year where Mars is high in the sky so viewing Mars is best done right now. I have also heard that Mars filters work well on Jupiter.
As fars as viewing Orion and DSO go I have only really found Orion so far so im thinking a filter of some sort should help me find DSO’s better and see Orion in even better detail. I typically view Orion at about 48x with my 26mm Meade plossl. I can see it fairly well but am wandering what the benifits of viewing it through a filter would be?
I live in a light polluted suburb. About a 5 or 6 on the Bortle dark sky scale. In between those two.
Like I said, if there is a multi purpose filter out there let me know about it. And if there is a worthwhile planetary or nebula/DSO filter out there let me know about it.
If you have used or own any of these filters let me know about it.
Thanks.
-Peace
Best answer:
Answer by Andrew S
There are no silver bullets out there. Broad spectrum light pollution filters are not worth the money. The narrow band filters work a lot better but you need plenty of aperture – 10″ is marginal for visual use, especially on a Dob. However light pollution is not an issue for you viewing Mars.
I think in the main the problem is probably one of unrealistic expectations. Mars _is_ a tricky target. Make sure your collimation is bang on and be patient, waiting for a glimpse of the planet through good seeing. Seeing is often best on nights when there is a slight haze to the sky – it just seems to help steady the air. I find a green filter can sometimes help pick out the polar cap which is fairly prominent at the moment but apart from that I wouldn’t bother with filters.
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