SingAstro

hi, i was thinking of getting filters to observe the sun and the nebulas. nebula like the orion. and maybe able to view the nebulosity of pleiades. any filters to recommend? im still deciding between a narrowband (UHC) or LPR for the nebula. and as for the solar filter, i would like to see the flares and sunspots on the sun.

recommendations please. =) thank yooou very much.

Hi,eMinity
As for looking at star cloud I am sure our sifu can advise you as their photo gallery will review.Also a talk with Joo Beng-astrobargain- will be helpful as he sells them for a reasonable price or you can order them from him.As for the sun, it really depends what you want to see and those filters are expensive too.A thousand oak white light glass filter for sunspots cost a few hundred, depending on the diameter and the scope you use.If you want to see prominences,either a lunt system or a coronado PST or solar max filter will do--pst cheapest while solarmax filters or lunt sysyem cost at least $1500 up.As for solar flare--the bright type;a thousand oak 0.9A Ha filter seems best as lower bandwidth ones will comfuse you of solar active region vs solar flare.All Ha 0.9A and below cost $1500up.
Well you may say --hey then photo the star cloud is cheaper--well you have to spend quiet a thousand on the mount too;whearas solar photography is much simpler--afocal.Moreover the sun changes everyday and -well if you dont mind the heat and sweat!Also the filter dont last forever.There is the problem of dread rust of the blocking filter which sets in after the first year of use in the tropics.Choice is yours.

oh yes. prominences are what i would like to see. just searched this on the net. http://www.coronadofilters.com/products_pst.html . started to think about buying it after seeing the pictures taken with it. *drools*. but really expensive. it would be great it i could get to see something like that with a budget of around S$100-S$400?

Hi,eMinity
A PST will enable you to see the minimum.If I am not wrong Joo Beng at astrobargain has one around s$800.Thats the minimum at 2nd hand.I bought a 2nd hand solarmax double stack at $2400.Once you decide on buying one do make full use of it EVERYDAY to make it worthwhile.Expensive?depend on how you look at it--eversince I begin this hobby at ten yrs old I decided to allocate 50 cents a day for this hobby and now I have all kinds of stuff(including a solarmax 90) including a spectrometer and still waiting for my first supernova!Less expensive than drinking beer or smoking.Thanks

haha. i see... alright, if a comparison to be made between that PST at astrobargain and a baader solar continuum filter, which one would show details on the sun and flares?

expensive cause i just spent a huge sum of money on my new scope. hahaha. gotta start saving up for my lao po ben. =P

Hi,eMinity
Only Ha or Cak filter can review solarflare easily.A continuum filter--I think you mean a white light filter will only enable you see those very very powerful flare-I personally had seen none with white light filter before(since 1987 to be frank).One more important thing--watching the sun is very very hot and normally you need to bath after doing that! and so you find very few in Singapore.Thanks.

Hi,All
Its always better to get a filter so that you can see the changes in real time;and decide what to do next.;but must add that those computer tech is ingenious.
Anyway do have a look and see how the sun can show us interesting faces too!-in event and .... .posted just now.Thanks

haha alright, i've decided to get a PST instead of a solar filter.

but i've not decided on the filters for nebulas and stuff. To view Orion Nebula in colour, i suppose i need to get colour filters. And do i need to get filters in order to see Pleiades's nebulosity?