Unpopular opinion: I think light pollution filters are overhyped for backyard viewing

I live just outside of Denver and got a decent light pollution filter about 3 years ago. Everyone in the forums was saying it was a must-have for city folks. But honestly, I've used it maybe a dozen times and my naked eye still picks up way more detail on Jupiter's bands than through the filter. It just makes everything dimmer and kind of muddy. Maybe my scope is too small? It's an 80mm refractor. Has anyone else found these filters more trouble than they're worth for casual weekend watching?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessec3913d ago

Yeah the filter just dims the image, it doesn't actually help with planetary detail. You'd want to try one on emission nebulae instead, the bands on Jupiter aren't really what they're made for.

abby18910d ago

Yeah, "it just dims the image" is kind of the issue with generic filters, but the real trick is they're only good for certain kinds of nebula, not planets at all.