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Old 21-10-2010, 09:58 AM
ausastronomer (John Bambury)
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Shoalhaven Heads, NSW
Posts: 2,620
Quote:
Originally Posted by astro744 View Post
If you want maximum resolution forget the polariser and get the 13%, 25% and 50% neutral density filters from Lumicon.
If you want maximum resolution forget about using any filter at all. Whichever filter you use, you are cutting down the light throughput and detail. A far better option is to have some ambient light around where you observe. This will limit your pupil dilation so the moon does not "appear" so bright. Look at the moon in daylight, it isn't so bright! Observing the moon is not harmful to your sight. It takes a minute or so for your pupil to dillate back to normal after observing the moon, that is all. Remember you are observing reflected light only, coming from a surface with the colour and texture of a bitumen road.

I regularly observe the moon unfiltered in the 18" Obsession and 14" SDM, without issue.

That all having been said. my wife and son have very "light sensitive eyes" and much prefer to use a filter. However, they lose detail!

Cheers,
John B
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