What are the filter(s) must have for the beginner

[malau]

Hi All,

I have a skywatcher 150/750 and just wonder what are the filters must have for the beginner? Thanks.

I saw few different color and LPR... but it seems even same color they got dark / or say yellow+ green and yellow so a bit confuse...

I mainly want to view the planets as well as hopefully some DSO...

[MattT]

Hi David,
Reflector or Refractor? Eyepiece size 1.25" or 2"?
Matt

[malau]

Hi Matt,

it is a reflector. I probably stick with 1.25" for time being although mine can have both. I am currently having 1.25" eye pieces only.

Thanks

[mental4astro]

Hi David,

Filters can be a real money pit. For the planets, Select just two or three - no more. You just won't exploit them enough.

Nebula filters - their efficiency depends singularly on the aperture of your scope. Those that are best suited to large apertures still work in small apertures, just that the image will be so dim as to be impractical.

For a 6" scope, nebula filter wise, I would suggest an OIII as your best option. It is also the best option from light polluted areas. Ultra High Contrast varieties that show up the Horsehead nebula, the image will be just too dim to make out the Horsey. A broad band filter, like an LPR, is good too in smaller apertures.

What filter shows what??? Have a look at this excellent Lumicon filter specification guide (http://www.lumicon.com/store/pg/15-LUMICON-Nebula-Filters.aspx). It illustrates just what each filter type transmits and what they are best suited for, including planets. Don't forget, nebula filters CAN be used with the planets too to show up various details.

There are also some sneaky filter options that are modestly priced, but they are absolutely top notch performers. You can get caught up with brands and supposed specs, and ignore cheaper options. But some of these cheaper options do just as well as the "big brands". I'd be happy to put up my GSO OIII filter against any Big Brand type. Omega Optical (who own and make the DGM brand) also market a more modestly priced line of astro filters. I took up their OIII + H beta filter, and had it pooh-poohed by supposedly "knowledgable" people. [Hydrogen beta light band is the light band that the Horsehead is best seen through]. Well, I did a side-by-side comparison of it with two other filters, including the much lorded NPB. Guess what? The modestly priced OIII+Hbeta filter SHOWED the Horsehead just as clearly as the NPB! Yes, the NPB is a different type of filter altogether, and it shows different details too, but as a viable filter option, this OIII+Hbeta is an excellent one without the expense. You might be surprised that there are some real gems out there.

Here's a link t0 Omega Optical and their OIII+Hbeta filter (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Filter-486-Astronomy-Hb-OIII-Nebula-II-28mm-1-25-/350238144653?pt=Educational_Toys_US&hash=item518bd1f88d). YES! One ebay!!! So are the DGM line.

[malau]

Thanks. finally I got yellow, red and blue filter however the OIII Im looking for (bintel) is out of stock so I may wait a bit longer.

Talking about that I saw M22 without any filter last night although there is a serious light pollution at my place. I managed to take few photos however the quality is bad. Tried to stack them but seems no good (or I used the wrong way)

Thanks for the info once again

[janoskiss]

There are no must-have filters for a beginner or for the experienced astronomer. For the beginner the main thing is to gain the experience in observing and to have the patience while waiting for the sky (turbulence) to settle down.

[jamespierce]

If I could only own one filter.... An OIII is nice for PN and quite a few other nebulosity objects. UHC would be my second choice, it's probably useful more often than an OIII, but the effect is more subtle. Anything else is a bit of a gimmick IMHO (and yet I own a gifted Hb just because of my Horsehead obsession!).

[ZeroID]

The moon 13% is the real useful one, that blighter is BRIGHT !!

[cometcatcher]

A filter won't do anything for M22. They're only for nebula.

A wide band filter like a CLS filter will help with most nebula, not as much visually as an OIII or UHC, but they can be used for imaging.

[malau]

Thanks everyone. Was buying OIII from Bintel on other day but then they said out of stock (the cheap one)..... so I may wait later...

[toc]

Don't expect to be blown away by the results. I'm pretty underwhelmed by the results of my Orion sky glow.

[janoskiss]

FWIW, for me the most impressive filter for visual in 8-12" Newts (occasionally larger) were a UHC type - DGM narrow band pass nebula filter. Not a fix for light pollution though. Neb filters are actually much more impressive under dark skies in larger scopes. You'll see some cool stuff if you use them in binoviewers (again, it won't do that much good except under clear dark skies).

For showing non-astro folk the Moon a neutral density filter or crossed-polarisers can be useful also.

[MattT]

Speaking of bino viewers and filters I sometimes use Bino's on the Sun with a Baader solar film and an Orange filter on one eyepiece and a Yellow on the other. Very nice.
Matt

[bytor666]

Just an FYI on the Omega O-III: This filter was tested by myself and 8 others against the Orion Ultrablock filter and they performed exactly the same because the bandpass on the Omega O-III is quite wide.

I have since scored an Orion O-III which was tested against the Lumicon O-III and it was very close in performance. The Orion Ultrablock is also a nice filter to own if you're on a budget. The very best are the Lumicons.

Cheers!

[Varangian]

x2 I will never part with mine :)

[Amaranthus]

The OIII will give a darker sky and therefore better contrast, but it does tend to make everything harder to to see. For all nebulae except planetary types, I tend to prefer my UHC LPR filter. I find both useful, however, and often look at the same object twice using the different filters, for a changed perspective!

[OzStarGazer]

I bought a set of 4 Seben colour filters, a GSO polarizing filter and a Celestron LPR/UHC filter and for the moment I think they are enough for a beginner like me. :)

[Don Pensack]

You might want to look at this other thread on IIS:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=117915
I spend a little time explaining the various nebula filters.
If you get just one, it should be a narrowband filter that passes H-Beta, and the 2 O-III lines (486nm, 496nm, 501nm).
Good examples: Lumicon UHC, Orion Ultrablock, DGM NPB, Thousand Oaks LP-2

A beginner might want a neutral density filter for the Moon, a red filter (dark markings on Mars), a yellow filter (Moon, dust storms on Mars, Saturn's rings), and a blue filter (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn's disk, Mars' ice caps and clouds), but they aren't essential. A good narrowband nebula filter, on the other hand, is amazing in the difference it can show--even in heavily light-polluted skies.