Choosing and Using Astronomical Filters

Astronomical filters can dramatically enhance both visual observing and astrophotography, but choosing the right filter for a particular target can be challenging. Choosing and Using Astronomical Filters provides a practical guide to the different types of filters available and explains how they can be used to improve observations and images of the Moon, planets, nebulae, galaxies, and other deep-sky objects.

The book covers a broad range of filters, including light-pollution, planetary, solar, neutral-density, and deep-sky filters. It explains which types of objects benefit most from particular filters and provides practical advice for getting the best results. The book also discusses image processing, including the use of Photoshop to further enhance filtered astrophotographs.

A dedicated observing guide covers 100 deep-sky objects personally observed by the author, with recommendations for suitable filters and useful information such as coordinates and magnitudes. While the book reflects the imaging technology of its publication era, its guidance on filters, target selection, and visual observing remains relevant to today’s amateur astronomers, including those using modern cooled CMOS cameras.

An accessible and practical reference, this book is a useful companion for anyone looking to understand and make better use of astronomical filters.