Photographic Astronomik Narrowband-Emissionline filter H-alpha-CCD with 6 nm FWHM and MFR Coating

This H-alpha Filter is suitable for imaging of Hydrogen nebulas from observation sites with light pollution and from dark sites as well. The contrast between an object glowing at 656 nm and the background is increased enormous!

Due to the combination of the narrowband of 6 nm and the high transmission of typically 96 % the filter gives you an enormous contrast boost, as all unwanted light from other wavelengths than 656 nm is blocked from UV up to the IR. This results in an extremely dark background.

The FWHM of 6 nm is matched to give you optimal performance with CCD and CMOS sensors with a very low dark current! The 6 nm filter is the best choice if you are observing from a heavily light polluted site or if you are imaging faint objects in starcrowded regions of the milkyway.

Due to the new MFR coating technique you may use one single filter on all instruments up to f/4 without a significant reduction in performance.

The Astronomik H-alpha filter MUST NOT BE USED for solar observation!

Technical data of the filter:

•     Guaranteed Transmission of more than 90 % at the H-alpha Line (656 nm)
•     Typical Transmission of 96 % at the H-alpha Line (656 nm)
•     Full-Width-Half Maximum (FWHM): 6 nm
•     perfect blocking of unwanted light from UV up to the IR
•     parfocal with all Astronomik filters
•     MFR Coating technique: Usable with all optics up to f/4
•     Thickness of 1 mm
•     Not sensitive to moisture, scratch resistant, not aging
•     optically polished substrate, striae-free and free of residual stresses
•     High quality storage box

Imaging with Narrowband-Emissionline Filters

If you have to observe from light polluted sites (like most of us...) imaging with Narrowband-Emissionline filters is the best way to take great images, as all kind of light pollution can be blocked very effective! Normaly an H-alpha filter should be your first step into this amazing field of astrophotography! With an Narrowband H-alpha filter you will be able to take deep and contrasty images even with very heavy light pollution or with the full moon high up in the sky!

If you look at other astrophotos, an H-alpha is the best choice for all nebulas glowing red! An OIII filter expands your imaging possibilities, as you are able to image all greenish / blueish structures. Planetary nebulas and star forming regions are great targets! The SII filters complete your HSO set of filters. With these three filters you are able to process your images like the ones from the Hubble space telescope!

The H-beta filter is not available in a 6 nm version, as this filter has nearly no meaningfull application.

Operation of the filter:

The filter blocks all unwanted light from artificial light-pollution, natural airglow and moonlight. Especially light from High- and Low-Pressure Sodium and Mercury lights and all lines of natural airglow are 100 % blocked. The filter increases the contrast between the sky-background and objects glowing at the xx line at xy nm.

Tipps and Hints for more applications:

Using the H-alpha-CCD filter together with OIII-CCD and SII-CCD filters you may produce false-color emission line images (HSO) in the same way as the Hubble Space telescope. This is possible even from heavily light polluted sites!

Alternatives:

The lower priced 12 nm filters are right choice for you, if you own a typical DSLR or a CCD camera with a high dark current! The 12 nm filters should be the first choice for cameras with an integrated guiding sensor, as you will have about twice as much stars compared to the 6 nm filter.


Delivery contains:

•     Filter
•     Filterbox