Color wheel

Planetary color filter effects by planet - from product inserts and websites of manufacturers

K. Fisher fisherka@csolutions.net Org. 5/11/2007

Table 1 - Planetary color filter effects by planet | Sort order: Body, Summary effect, Filter

Applies to Filtername Enhances_features Manufacturer Transmission fraction Apeture recommended Mechanism_of_action Observing_effect_detail
All 58 Green Refractor color Orion 0.24 Refractors Reduces red and blue wavelengths. Reduces chromatic aberration inherent in some refractors.
Comets 58A Green Detail - bright comets Celestron 0.24 >8" Strongly reduces blue, red and yellow Useful for observing brighter comets.
Comets 08 Yellow, Light Heads and tails Orion 0.83 All Reduces blue Enhances detail in comet heads and tails.
Comets 21 Orange Heads and tails Celestron 0.46 Large Reduces blue and green light. Enhances definition of comet dust tails and heads in larger telescopes (11" and greater apeture).
Comets 12 Yellow, Deep Tails Celestron 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Enhance definition in comet tails.
Comets 80A Blue Tails Celestron 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Brings out the best definition in comet gas tails.
Double stars ND96 Moon Separation Meade 0.13 >8" Reduces luminance. Reduces brightness of primary so secondary may be seen.
Jupiter 08 Yellow, Light Belts Meade 0.83 All Reduces blue Enhances orange-red zones in belts
Jupiter 21 Orange Belts Orion 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Brings out structure in bands.
Jupiter 21 Orange Belts Celestron 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Increases detail in Jovain belts and festoons and polar region.
Jupiter 56 Green, Light Belts Orion 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Improves low contrast detail in Jovian equatorial bands.
Jupiter 80A Blue Belts Celestron 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enhance boundaries bewteen reddish belts an adjacent bright zones.
Jupiter 21 Orange Belts and polar Meade 0.46 >6" Reduces blue wavelengths. Increases detail in belt and polar regions.
Jupiter 23A Red, Light Belts and polar Orion 0.25 >8" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Highlights polar areas and blue clouds.
Jupiter 23A Red, Light Belts and polar Meade 0.25 >6" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Increases detail in belt and polar regions. Use only with apetures of 6" or higher.
Jupiter 25 Red Clouds - blue Orion 0.14 >8" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Enhances bluer clouds of Jupiter.
Jupiter 25 Red Clouds - blue Meade 0.14 >8" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Increases visiblity of blue-tinted cloud formations on Jupiter and blue detail in disk. 14% Transmission factor means this filter should only be used with apetures of 8" or higher.
Jupiter 25 Red Clouds - blue Celestron 0.14 >8" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Enhances bluer clouds.
Jupiter 56 Green, Light Clouds - blue Meade 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Increases contrast in red and blue regions of disk and cloud belts.
Jupiter 38A Blue, Dark Great Red Spot Orion 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red. Improves view of Great Red Spot.
Jupiter 56 Green, Light Great Red Spot Celestron 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Increase visibility of Great Red Spot. Enhances low-contrast hues of blue and red in Jovian atmosphere.
Jupiter 38A Blue, Dark Great Red Spot and belts Meade 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red Increases visiblity of Great Red Spot. Increases contrast of belt details. Rejects orange and red, enhancing contrast of red features like the GRS.
Jupiter 58A Green Great Red Spot and belts Celestron 0.24 >8" Strongly reduces blue, red and yellow Increase visibility of Great Red Spot. Enhances low-contrast hues of blue and red in Jovian atmosphere.
Jupiter 80A Blue Great Red Spot and belts Meade 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Increases details in rilles, festoons and the Red Spot in Jupiter's belts.
Jupiter 80A Blue, medium Great Red Spot and belts Orion 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Primarily for studying structures in upper atmosphere. Enhances Great Red Spot or the festoons in Jupiter's belts.
Jupiter 58 Green Surface detail Meade 0.24 >8" Strongly rejects blue and red tones. Increases contrast in lighter parts of the Jupiter disk by supressing red and blue toned structures.Use with 8" of apeture or greater.
Jupiter 82A Blue, Light Surface detail Orion 0.73 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enhances low contrast detail at higher powers. A good filter for stacking.
Jupiter 82A Blue, Light Surface detail Meade 0.73 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enchances low contrast detail while not reducing brightness. Use as a piggy-back filter.
Jupiter 08 Yellow, Light Surface detail Orion 0.83 All Reduces blue Enhances orange and red features.
Jupiter 11 Yellow-Green Surface detail Orion 0.73 All Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Enhances blue and red features.
Jupiter 11 Yellow-Green Surface detail Meade 0.73 All Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Increases contrast of red and blue features
Jupiter 12 Yellow Surface detail Meade 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Increases contrast of blue features
Jupiter 12 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Celestron 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Darken atmospheric currrents containing low-hue blue tones.
Jupiter 15 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Orion 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Aids in penetrating higher atmospheric layers.
Jupiter 58 Green Surface detail Orion 0.24 >8" Reduces red and blue wavelengths. Enhances low-contrast blue and red Jovian features.
Mars 23A Red, Light Dust storms Orion 0.25 >8" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Sharpens edges of dust clouds on Mars.
Mars 38A Blue, Dark Dust storms Orion 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red. Brings out dust storms on Mars surface.
Mars 38A Blue, Dark Dust storms Meade 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red. Increases detail in dust storms. Rejects orange and red, enhancing contrast of red details.
Mars 56 Green, Light Dust storms and polar caps Celestron 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Increases contrast of Martian polar caps, low clouds and yellow dust storms.
Mars 58 Green Dust storms and polar caps Orion 0.24 >8" Reduces red and blue wavelengths. Increases contrast for Martian polar caps, low-flying Martian clouds, and yellowish Martian dust storms.
Mars 58A Green Dust storms and polar caps Celestron 0.24 >8" Strongly reduces blue, red and yellow Increases contrast of Martian polar caps, low clouds and yellow dust storms.
Mars 11 Yellow-Green General Orion 0.73 All Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Useful on Mars.
Mars 08 Yellow, Light Maria Orion 0.83 All Reduces blue Enhances detail in maria.
Mars 08 Yellow, Light Maria Meade 0.83 All Reduces blue Increases contrast of maria
Mars 11 Yellow-Green Maria Meade 0.73 All Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Darkens maria
Mars 21 Orange Maria Orion 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Increases contrast between maria and deserts. Especially good for smaller telescopes at high power.
Mars 21 Orange Maria Meade 0.46 >6" Reduces blue wavelengths. Darkens maria edges. Increases contrast between yellow-orange areas and blue-green regions.
Mars 21 Orange Maria Celestron 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Reduces light from blue green areas in dark mares and lightens orange-hued desert regions. Increases contrast.
Mars 23A Red, Light Maria Meade 0.25 >6" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Darkens maria edges. Increases contrast between yellow-orange areas and blue-green regions. Use only with apetures of 6" or higher.
Mars 25 Red Maria and poles Orion 0.14 >8" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Enhances polar ice caps and features on Martian surface.
Mars 25 Red Maria and poles Meade 0.14 >8" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Increases contrast of pole ice and maria. Strongly blocks and contrasts blue and blue-green features. 14% Transmission factor means this filter should only be used with apetures of 8" or higher.
Mars 47 Violet (Blue per Kodak) Polar ice caps Orion 0.03 >8" Reduces yellow and green. Useful in detecting clouds over Martian polar caps.
Mars 47 Violet (Blue per Kodak) Polar ice caps Meade 0.03 >8" Strongly rejects red, yellow and green. Enhances detail in polar ice caps. Use with apetures of 8" or greater.
Mars 56 Green, Light Polar ice caps Orion 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Increases contrast of Martian polar ice caps.
Mars 58 Green Polar ice caps Meade 0.24 >8" Strongly rejects blue and red tones. Strongly increases polar ice cap contrast. Use with 8" of apeture or greater.
Mars 56 Green, Light Surface detail Meade 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Improves contrast in polar caps and yellow-tinted dust storms.
Mars 82A Blue, Light Surface detail Meade 0.73 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enchances low contrast detail while not reducing brightness. Use as a piggy-back filter.
Mars 12 Yellow Surface detail Meade 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Lightens red-orange features, increasing their contrast with blue-green areas
Mars 12 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Celestron 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Reduces light from blue green areas in dark mares and lightens orange-hued desert regions. Increases contrast.
Mars 15 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Orion 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Aids in penetrating higher atmospheric layers.
Mars 25 Red Surface detail and poles Celestron 0.14 >8" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Enhances polar ice caps and features on Mars surface. Sharpens boundaries of yellow dust clouds.
Mars 80A Blue Surface detail and poles Celestron 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Very useful during the violet clearing. Helpful in studying surface features and polar caps.
Mercury 21 Orange Sky contrast Celestron 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Reduces brightness of blue sky during daylight observing to reveal surface features.
Mercury 23A Red, Light Sky contrast Orion 0.25 >8" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Improves detail in rough evening skyglow. Enhances detail in day observing.
Mercury 23A Red, Light Sky contrast Meade 0.25 >6" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Increases contrast between bright blue sky and Mercury's disk during daylight. Use only with apetures of 6" or higher.
Mercury 25 Red Sky contrast Celestron 0.14 >10" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. In daylight, reduces the brightness of the blue sky to enhance surface details. At twilight improves observation when planet is near horizon.
Mercury 80A Blue Sky contrast Celestron 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Improve observation of dusky surface markings at twilight, when the planet is near horizon.
Moon 56 Green, Light Surface detail Orion 0.53 All Reduces blue, yellow and red. Improves detail on lunar surface.
Moon 56 Green, Light Surface detail Meade 0.53 All Reduces blue, yellow and red. Useful for enhancing lunar detail.
Moon 56 Green, Light Surface detail Celestron 0.53 All Reduces blue, yellow and red. Enhances lunar detail.
Moon 58 Green Surface detail Orion 0.24 >8" Reduces red and blue wavelengths. Enhances detail.
Moon 80A Blue Surface detail Meade 0.3 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Contrast enhancing lunar filter.
Moon 80A Blue Surface detail Celestron 0.3 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enhance lunar detail.
Moon 82A Blue, Light Surface detail Meade 0.73 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enchances low contrast detail while not reducing brightness. Use as a piggy-back filter.
Moon Moon Filter Surface detail Celestron 0.18 All Reduces luminance. Reduces brightness so greater detail can be observed on lunar surface.
Moon 12 Yellow Surface detail Meade 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Increases contrast of lunar features if apeture is 10 inch or greater
Moon 12 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Celestron 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Enhance lunar detail.
Moon 15 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Orion 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Primarily for Moon to enhance detail. Reduces irradiation between features of varying brightness.
Moon 21 Orange Surface detail Celestron 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Greatly enhances lunar detail.
Moon 23A Red, Light Surface detail Orion 0.25 >8" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Improves details on lunar surface.
Moon 25 Red Surface detail Celestron 0.14 >10" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Improves lunar features.
Moon 58A Green Surface detail Celestron 0.24 >8" Strongly reduces blue, red and yellow Enhances lunar features.
Moon 38A Blue, Dark Surface detail and poles Orion 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red. Slighty improves view of lunar surface.
Neptune 08 Yellow, Light Dusky clouds Meade 0.83 >10" Reduces blue Improves dusky detail if apeture is 10 inch or greater
Neptune 08 Yellow, Light Surface detail Orion 0.83 >10" Reduces blue In larger telescopes, enhances surface details.
Neptune 11 Yellow-Green Surface detail Orion 0.73 All Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Shows some detail with larger scopes.
Neptune 12 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Celestron 0.74 >11" Reduces blue wavelengths. Improves detail in larger telescopes (>11" apetures)
Saturn 12 Yellow, Deep Belts Celestron 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Darken atmospheric currrents containing low-hue blue tones. Enhance orange and red features of the belts and zones.
Saturn 21 Orange Belts Orion 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Brings out structure in bands.
Saturn 38A Blue, Dark Belts Orion 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red. Intensifies subtle details in cloud belts of Saturn.
Saturn 38A Blue, Dark Belts Meade 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red. Increases contrast in belt structures. Rejects orange and red, enhancing contrast of red features.
Saturn 80A Blue Belts Celestron 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enchance low contrast features between the belts and the zones.
Saturn 21 Orange Belts and polar Meade 0.46 >6" Reduces blue wavelengths. Increases detail in belt and polar regions.
Saturn 21 Orange Belts and polar Celestron 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Improves structure of the Saturnian bands and highlights blue polar regions.
Saturn 23A Red, Light Belts and polar Orion 0.25 >8" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Highlights polar areas and blue clouds.
Saturn 23A Red, Light Belts and polar Meade 0.25 >6" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Increases detail in belt and polar regions. Use only with apetures of 6" or higher.
Saturn 58 Green Belts and polar Meade 0.24 >8" Strongly rejects blue and red tones. Increases contrast at poles and in disk belts. Use with 8" of apeture or greater.
Saturn 80A Blue Belts and polar Meade 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Increases details in belts and polar phenomena.
Saturn 25 Red Clouds - blue Celestron 0.14 >10" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Enhances bluer clouds.
Saturn 80A Blue, medium Clouds - upper Orion 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Primarily for studying structures in upper atmosphere. Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths.
Saturn 58A Green Clouds - white Celestron 0.24 >8" Strongly reduces blue, red and yellow Enhances white features in Saturnian atmosphere.
Saturn 25 Red Clouds - blue Orion 0.14 >10" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. Enhances bluer clouds of Saturn.
Saturn 11 Yellow-Green Ring divisions Meade 0.73 All Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Clarifies Cassini division. Increases contrast of red and blue features
Saturn 47 Violet (Blue per Kodak) Ring divisions Meade 0.03 >8" Strongly rejects red, yellow and green. Enhances detail in ring structure. Use with apetures of 8" or greater.
Saturn 56 Green, Light Surface detail Orion 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Brings out surface contrast on Saturn.
Saturn 82A Blue, Light Surface detail Orion 0.73 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enhances low contrast detail at higher powers. A good filter for stacking.
Saturn 82A Blue, Light Surface detail Meade 0.73 All Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Enchances low contrast detail while not reducing brightness. Use as a piggy-back filter.
Saturn 08 Yellow, Light Surface detail Orion 0.83 All Reduces blue Enhances orange and red features.
Saturn 11 Yellow-Green Surface detail Orion 0.73 All Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Enhances blue and red features.
Saturn 12 Yellow Surface detail Meade 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Increases contrast of blue features
Saturn 15 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Orion 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Aids in penetrating higher atmospheric layers.
Sun 21 Orange Asthetic color Celestron 0.46 All Reduces blue and green light. Adding an orange filter colors a white light image for asthetic effect.
Uranus 08 Yellow, Light Dusky clouds Meade 0.83 >10" Reduces blue Improves dusky detail if apeture is 10 inch or greater
Uranus 08 Yellow, Light Surface detail Orion 0.83 >10" Reduces blue In larger telescopes, enhances surface details.
Uranus 11 Yellow-Green Surface detail Orion 0.73 >10" Reduces blue, adding a small percentage (3 to 7%) of violet. Shows some detail with larger scopes.
Uranus 12 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Celestron 0.74 >11" Reduces blue wavelengths. Improves detail in larger telescopes (>11" apetures)
Venus 08 Yellow, Light Clouds Orion 0.83 All Reduces blue Enhances low contrast detail.
Venus 47 Violet (Blue per Kodak) Clouds Orion 0.03 >8" Reduces yellow and green. Increases contrast in upper atmospheric clouds.
Venus 47 Violet (Blue per Kodak) Clouds Meade 0.03 >8" Strongly rejects red, yellow and green. Occasionally enhances cloud details. Use with apetures of 8" or greater.
Venus 56 Green, Light Clouds Orion 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Enhances cloud detail on Venus.
Venus 56 Green, Light Clouds Celestron 0.53 >6" Reduces blue, yellow and red. Enhances Venusian cloud pattern studies. Reduces brightness of blue sky during daytime.
Venus 58 Green Clouds Orion 0.24 >8" Reduces red and blue wavelengths. Enhances atmospheric clouds.
Venus 58A Green Clouds Celestron 0.24 >8" Strongly reduces blue, red and yellow Enhances Venusian cloud pattern studies. Reduces brightness of blue sky during daytime.
Venus 38A Blue, Dark Clouds - blue Meade 0.17 >8" Rejects orange and red. Increases subtle cloud markings on Venus. Rejects orange and red, enhancing contrast of red features.
Venus 80A Blue Clouds - upper Celestron 0.3 >8" Reduces red, green and yellow wavelengths. Increases contrast of dark shadings in upper Venusian clouds.
Venus 21 Orange Sky contrast Celestron 0.46 >6" Reduces blue and green light. Use during daylight hours to reduce brightness of sky and increase disk-sky contrast.
Venus 23A Red, Light Sky contrast Orion 0.25 >8" Reduces blue, green and yellow light, leaving orange and red Improves detail in rough evening skyglow. Enhances detail in day observing.
Venus 25 Red Sky contrast Celestron 0.14 >10" Reduces blue, green and some yellow light, leaving some yellow and orange and red light. In daylight, reduces brightness of the sky. Occasionally, deformations in terminator are visible.
Venus 58 Green Surface detail Meade 0.24 >8" Strongly rejects blue and red tones. Increases contrast in atmospheric structures. Use with 8" of apeture or greater.
Venus 12 Yellow, Deep Surface detail Celestron 0.74 All Reduces blue wavelengths. Reveal low-contrast surface features.

Use

Table 1, above, is intended as a guide for loading up a filter wheel for observing a single planet.

"What you see is that a filter lightens tones of objects colored similarly to the filter and darkens tones of objects colored dissimilarly." Kodak. 1998. Using Filters (Kodak Workshop Series) (The Kodak Workshop Series) (Paperback). Find a color wheel of primary and secondary colors, e.g. -

To bring out detail that is expected to be blue or green, pull a filter that is the target color's opposite on the color wheel, e.g. - red to see green or blue detail on a "red" planet like Mars or Jupiter and a blue filter to see red detail on a "blue" planet like Venus. Subtle detail changes will appear darker. For the color preception effect to work it is necessary that these darkened regions be sufficiently bright to trigger daytime color receptors in the eye. Therefore, many filters with low transmission factors will only work with larger apetures, i.e. - eight or ten inches or greater.

An intuitive understanding of how filtered color contrast increases your ability to detail can be gained by taking your astronomy filters to a flower garden during daylight. Lower late afternoon or early morning sun is best. Look at yellow, red, blue, and orange flowers and green leaf bases through each colored filter.

An example wheel load for Saturn, developed using the table, might be:

Table 2 - Perceived color of light by wavelength
ColorWavelength (nm) range
violet380-450
blue 450-495
green 495-570
yellow 570-590
orange 590-620
red620-750

Sources

No copyright asserted

This site contains amateur astronomy work product. No copyright is asserted to any original content materials in this website and the same are released to the public domain.

K. Fisher fisherka@csolutions.net Org. 5/11/2007