Astronomy Filters - Commonly Used

Narrowband Optical Filters 50mm dia. Hydrogen alpha

Our business began in 1990 as research astronomers came to us to obtain high-performance, high-precision  telescope filters and optics. This was driven in part by the emergence of CCD imaging. At that time it was only large research institutions that could afford the $200,000 + costs associated with custom-building of such large format, digital cameras. Over these many years, we perfected our skills and techniques in designing and manufacturing filters that are optimized to function with CCD cameras.

In the mid and late 1990's, as the costs of off-the-shelf CCD cameras dramatically declined, so that smaller research groups and even some sophisticated amateur astronomers  could own them too, we found that those amateur astronomers were also coming to us to obtain high quality filters, just as their better-funded "cousins" did. In response to that, we developed and stocked a series of commonly used filters. Although such filters when built for a research astronomer could cost thousands of dollars, by mass production techniques and minor changes in design we were able to lower prices dramatically.

 

All of our astronomical filters have IR blocking "built-in" so IR light does not contaminate today's sensitive CCD detectors. When you use filters from Custom Scientific, you do not need any additional IR blocker filters. One exception is in the thickness-matched Clear filters which transmit all wavelengths from the UV to the far IR; they are clear, high-precision, optical windows designed to transmit all wavelengths of light without having to refocus when switching back to a color filter.

The filters offered below are the most commonly-used filters astronomical filters for photometry and narrow-band imaging in the most commonly-used sizes.



Wide Band Astronomy Filters
Description 1.25" dia. mounted 50mm dia. unmounted 50 x 50 mm square unmounted
RGB & Clear Filter Set $550 $1700 $1800
Luminance Filter (IR-blocked Clear) $125 $495 $495
Photometric UBVRI Filters (Johnson/Cousins/Bessell) $350 per filter $750 per filter $850 per filter
Clear Window for UBVRI $75 $125 $150
Neutral Density Filter (ND 2, 1.0%T) $175 $250

$300

 

Narrow Band Astronomy Filters
Description 1.25" dia. mounted 50 mm dia. unmounted 50 x 50 mm square unmounted
Hydrogen Alpha* 656.3/3 nm
(The ultimate light pollution filter)
$625 $1300 $1600
Hydrogen Alpha* 656.3/5 nm $500 $1200 $500
Hydrogen Alpha* 656.3/8-10 nm $375 $850 $475
Red Continuum 640/10 nm $600 $900  
[O III] 500.7/ 3 nm (Oxygen) $625 $1300 $1600
[O III] 500.7/ 8 nm (Oxygen) $400 $850 $950
Green Continuum 510/10 nm $600 $900  
Hydrogen Beta 486.1/3 nm $625 $1300 $1600
Blue Continuum 470/10 nm $375 $900  
[S II] 672.4/ 3 nm (Sulfur) $625 $1300 $1600
[S II] 672.4/ 8 nm (Sulfur) $375 $850 $950
Methane 889/18 nm $450    
Spanner Tool for unmounting 1.25" filter $15 - -
Optics Cleaning Kit $135

* For nighttime use only. NOT for solar viewing.

  •  Contact us for pricing on other sizes, including custom sizes.
  • All filters have anti-reflection (A/R) coatings.
  • Narrowband filters are also useful for capturing high resolution images in cities and other areas with high contamination by unwanted light. Thus, they are effective light-pollution filters.

Typical filter spectra

Hydrogen-alpha/10 spectrum<

Hydrogen alpha 656.3/10 nm*
(NOT for solar viewing.)

Hydrogen alpha spectrum

Hydrogen alpha 656.3/4.5 nm*
(NOT for solar viewing.)

Hydrogen beta spectrum

Hydrogen beta 486.1/4.5 nm

[Oxygen III] 500.7/4.5 nm

[Oxygen III] 500.7/4.5 nm

[Sulphur II] 672.4/4.5 nm

[Sulphur II] 672.4/4.5 nm

UBVRI filters spectrum

UBVRI Johnson/Cousins/Bessell Filter Set

RGB Filter Set

RGB Filter Set

IR-blocked Clear (Luminance)

IR-blocked Clear (Luminance)

Neutral Density filter spectrum

Neutral Density 2

Multi-Band Hα filter spectrum

Multi-Band Hα (656.3nm), [O III] (500.7nm), and Hβ (486.1nm)- One filter, 3 emission lines.

Hydrogen Beta filter

Hydrogen Beta

Various Narrowband Filters

Narrowband Filters

Please contact us with any questions you might have

Check out our Optics Cleaning Kit.

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Custom Scientific, Inc.
3852 North 15th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85015 USA
Phone: 602-200-9200