Filters

Please pardon our dust, this section is under construction. New filters added daily. If you do not see the filter you are looking for, please contact SBIG at sbig@sbig.com.

Many of the best astro images seen in Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazine are taken with monochrome CCD cameras and color filters using RGB or LRGB combination techniques (L=luminance, R=red, G=green, B=blue, C=clear). A luminance filter typically blocks UV and IR light, passing only the same wavelengths as the RGB filters. A clear filter generally does not block UV or IR but is used for maximum signal transmission over the full range of the CCD. 

Some astro imagers combine H-alpha with RGB to enhance the appearance of emission nebula. Three or four narrow band filters may also be used exclusively to create dramatic "Hubble like" false color images of emission nebula. One of the benefits of narrow band imaging is that light pollution and sky glow is suppressed by the narrow band filters. Those studying variable stars and performing other photometric measurements use standardized UBVRI or BVI filter sets to record their observations.