Blue filter for Venus?

[erick (Eric)]

I wanted a 2" ND filter for the moon (and Jupiter, maybe?) and was ready to buy Bintel's for $45 when Mr Bintel offered me a set of Saxon 2" filters, including this ND filter, for $80, so I took it.

The Saxon website says this is a new release (8 March) and gives me this vast amount of information:-

'2" colour planetary filter set (4 different colour yellow, orange, grey & blue).'

Would this blue filter be useful for viewing Venus against the twilight sky? I plan to try this weekend.

Thanks

[Don Pensack]

Basic color filters for planets:
yellow (#12 or #15)--Moon, Saturn's rings, Mercury, Martian dust storms
Blue (#82A or 80A)--Jupiter, Saturn's disc, Venus, Neptune in big scope, clouds on Mars
Red (#25 or #23)--Mars dark markings
Neutral density--Moon, Venus.
Magenta (#30, #40)--see dark markings on Mars AND clouds. You'll have to go to a camera shop and adapt a lens filter to a telescope filter holder. But it's worth it. This is possibly the best filter for Mars that exists.
Green (#56)--Moon or Mars' polar cap and light details.
Hope that helps.
Don

[erick (Eric)]

Many thanks Don. This is very useful information.

The blue filter I had seemed to do a good job of contrasting Venus with the sky. But I was stuck in a poor location - viewing across a still warm metal roof.