Our Moon is the most popular object to observe with a telescope. It’s an obvious target that’s easy to locate and full of exciting geographical features to explore. Moon filters enhance lunar viewing by cutting down on the Moon’s bright glare, improving contrast and making faint details easier to observe. Amateur astronomers refer to Moon filters as “sunglasses for the Moon” because they provide a more comfortable view and reduce eye fatigue.
This Moon Filter Set contains all the filters you will ever need to observe the Moon during its various phases. The set allows you to choose the best filter to use with different eyepiece and telescope combinations. Use the darkest filter with larger aperture telescopes and lower magnification eyepieces. Use the lighter filters with smaller telescopes and higher magnification eyepieces.
This kit is essential for those looking to take the next step in exploring their telescope’s full lunar capability, or for seasoned lunar observers who use a variety of telescopes and eyepieces to observe the Moon.
In this kit, you will receive:
- Three neutral density (ND) filters: ND96-0.9 13% T, ND96-0.6 25% T, and ND96-0.3 50% T —These filters dim the entire visual spectrum from 400-700nm equally. The ND96-0.9 filter transmits 13% of the incoming light, the ND96-0.6 transmits 25% and the ND96-0.3 transmits 50%. They do not impart any color to the Moon, but reduce lunar brightness. With several ND filters to choose from, you can find just the right level of light transmission for the Moon depending on its phase, the aperture of your telescope, and the magnification of your eyepiece. ND filters can also be used reduce the glare from Venus to better see its crescent phases, and to help dim bright daytime views when using a telescope terrestrially.
- A Moon & Sky Glow filter — This filter selectively reduces light transmission at different wavelengths and greatly improves contrast for observing subtle lunar features. This filter imparts a very light purple color to the Moon. For those in light-polluted skies, the Moon & Sky Glow filter provides some contrast enhancement when viewing deep sky objects due to the filter blocking some wavelengths associated with common forms of light pollution, e.g. low-pressure sodium (LPS) street lights. Here is the transmission graph for the Moon & Sky Glow filter:
- A durable plastic carrying case — The Moon Filter Set comes with a foam-lined plastic case to store all four filters when they are not in use and protect them during transit.
- Moon map and legend — Familiarize yourself with the Moon, our neighboring world with the help of our handheld Moon map. The Moon map comes complete with a legend highlighting 17 key features to explore including Sea of Tranquility, Tycho, Plato, Copernicus and many more.
Housing
Each filter is housed in an aluminum cell, providing a rigid, durable frame for the filter glass. The filters thread onto Celestron 1.25” eyepieces and most other 1.25” eyepieces with a standard filter thread. The filters have threads on the top and bottom to stack with other filters for even more light filtration options.
Explore the Moon
Your Moon Filter Set also includes a free download of Robert Reeves’ eBook, Lunar Landscapes, which goes into fascinating detail about the sizes of craters, how marias are formed, the natural history of the Moon, and more.
