Orion 5453 User manual

Orion®Premium 20-Piece 1.25"
Color Planetary Filter Set
#5453
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
IN 538 Rev. A 2/15
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AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED COMPANY

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Your new Orion Premium 20-Piece 1.25" Color Planetary Filter Set
will add versatility and viewing pleasure to your astronomy experi-
ence. This set contains 20 color lters and a metal storage case.
Please read these instructions thoroughly for proper use and care
of the lters.
Color Eyepiece Filters
Color lters will enhance your visual and photographic observation of the Moon
and planets, allowing you to see greater contrast between planetary details of dif-
fering colors. Some lters offer additional uses such as enhancing structure detail
in galaxies, reducing unwanted false color from achromatic refractors and terres-
trial observing at dawn or dusk.
How They Work
Planetary surface details and atmospheric phenomena reect sunlight as con-
trasting colors which we see as details on the disc of a planet. A color eyepiece
lter passes (transmits) a specic color of reected light and blocks (reects) their
complementary colors: for example, red. Passing red will reveal detail of a con-
trasting color, blue, in this example. This lightening of similar colors and darkening
of contrasting colors enhances the detail that you see. Color lters do not actually
increase the level of detail, they merely make it easier to see.
Figure 1. Comparison illustration of using lters for planetary observation.
Attaching the Filters
Filters require a 1.25" telescope eyepiece that can accept threaded lters. Any
Orion 1.25" eyepiece will work. Simply thread the lter into the eyepiece barrel until
it is nger tight.

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Stacking Filters
You can also “stack” lters by threading another lter into the bottom of the rst.
Please note to check the transmission curves of the lters that you are stocking
to make sure they have some overlap otherwise all visible wavelengths may be
blocked or may be too limiting for smaller aperture telescopes.
Photography
Use the lters photographically by threading them into eyepieces used in tele-
extenders and universal camera adapters. Some cameras, camera adapters,
diagonals and barlow lenses also have the proper threads to accept lters directly.
Please note that a UV/IR blocking lter may also need to be used with mono-
chrome cameras to block wavelengths outside of the visible spectrum. Color cam-
eras generally have this lter already attached but monochrome cameras may not.
Change Filters Quickly and Safely Without Interrupting Observing
or Photography
There’s also an easy way to change the lter you want for observing or photogra-
phy. With a lter wheel or lter slider, it is possible to change lters without having
to remove your eyepiece or camera thus saving observing time and eliminating the
need to fumble around in the dark screwing lters onto accessories.
Figure 2. Attaching a lter to a 1.25" eyepiece with lter threads.
Figure 3. The Orion 1.25" 5-position (manual) lter wheel and the Orion Nautilus 1.25"
7-position (motorized) lter wheel.

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Filter Descriptions
Numbering/Naming of Filters
Each lter is referred to by its color and Wratten number (based upon the historical
standard numbering system developed by Kodak/Wratten).
Figure 4. The Orion 1.25" 8-slot lter slider provides an affordable method to use and
exchange lters quickly.
Figure 5. Filter showing name and Wratten number (No 15. Yellow).
Luminance transmittance %
Associated with each lter is a luminance transmittance value (LT %).
All lters will reduce the total amount of light reaching the eye based upon this
value.
For small aperture telescopes best results will be found by using lters that have a
higher luminance transmittance value.
Larger aperture telescopes are required for low transmission lters such as the W46
Deep Blue (2% LT), the W47 Violet (3% LT) and the W29 Deep Red (6% LT).

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Types of Filters
The following types of lters are included in this set.
YELLOWS BLUES AND BLUE GREENS
WB Light Yellow 83% LT W38A Blue 17% LT
W11 Yellow-Green 40% LT W44A LightBlueGreen 14% LT
W12 Yellow 74% LT W46 Deep Blue 2% LT
W15 Deep Yellow 66% LT W47 Violet 3% LT 3% LT
W56 Light Green 53% LT
ORANGES AND REDS W57 Medium Green 33% LT
W21 Orange 46% LT W58 Green 24% LT
W23A Light Red 25% LT W64 Blue-Green 25% LT
W25 Red 14% LT
W29 Deep-Red 6% LT LIGHT BALANCING 28% LT
W80A Medium Blue
MAGENTAS W82A Pale Blue 73% LT
W30 Light Magenta 27% LT
W32 Magenta 13% LT

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Visible spectrum transmission graphs
A spectral curve graph in the visible spectrum range (400nm to 700nm) is given for
each lter and can be used to examine how the spectral transmittance curve of a
particular lter transmits or blocks certain wavelengths.
Figure 6. Visible spectrum graph (400nm to 700nm).
Quick lookup matrix
Use the quick lookup matrix found on the inside of the storage box lid as a quick
reference guide to how the lters can be used on different targets.
Figure 7. The handy quick lookup matrix.

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#8 Lt. Yellow 83% Transmission
Description:
Longpass filter blocking visible wavelengths below 465nm
Enhances:
• Detail in red and orange features
• Lunar detail in small telescopes
• Surface plains and maria on Mars
• Belts of Jupiter
• Dawn/dusk terrestrial viewing
• Observation of planets in daytime
• Improved resolution of dusky detail on Uranus and Neptune in 10" aperture
and above
• Reduces color from achromatic refractors
Description and Uses for Individual Filters

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#11 Yellow-Green 40% Transmission
Description:
Color correction lter
Enhances:
• Reduces lunar glare
• Darkens maria on Mars
• Cloud bands of Jupiter
• Comet impacts on Jupiter
• Improved resolution of dusky detail on Uranus and Neptune in 10” aperture
and above
• Reduces color from achromatic refractors

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#12 Yellow 74% Transmission
Description:
Minus blue lter
Complements #32 minus green and #44A minus red
Longpass lter blocking visible wavelengths below 500nm
Enhances:
• Mercury/sky contrast
• Surface features on Mercury
• Lunar feature contrast
• Reduces Lunar glare
• Atmospheric clouds on Mars
• Desert regions of Mars
• Polar ice caps of Mars
• Festoons of Jupiter
• Clouds on Saturn
• Blue/green contrast on Uranus
• Blue/green contrast on Neptune

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#15 Deep Yellow 6% Transmission
Description:
Longpass lter blocking visible wavelengths below 510nm
Enhances:
• Mercury/sky contrast
• Lunar feature contrast
• Reduces Lunar glare
• Atmospheric clouds on Mars
• Surface plains and maria on Mars
• Polar ice caps of Mars
• Belts of Jupiter
• Belts of Saturn
• Cassini division of Saturn’s rings
• Improved resolution of dusky detail on Uranus and Neptune in 10" aperture
and above
• Reduces color from achromatic refractors

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#21 Orange 46% Transmission
Description:
Longpass lter blocking visible wavelengths below 530nm
Enhances:
• Mercury/sky contrast
• Surface plains and maria on Mars
• Dust storms on Mars
• Cloud bands on Jupiter
• Loops, festoons and ovals on Jupiter
• Polar regions of Jupiter
• Great Red Spot on Jupiter
• Belts of Saturn
• Polar regions of Saturn

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#23A Lt. Red 25% Transmission
Description:
Longpass filter blocking visible wavelengths below 550nm
Enhances:
• Mercury/sky contrast
• Venus/sky contrast
• Surface plains and maria on Mars
• Belts of Jupiter
• Polar regions of Jupiter
• Belts of Saturn
• Polar regions of Saturn

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#25 Red 14% Transmission
Description:
Longpass filter blocking visible wavelengths below 580nm
Enhances:
• Mercury/sky contrast
• Surface features on Mercury
• Venus/sky contrast
• Reduces glare from Venus
• Terminator on Venus
• Lunar transient phenomenon (LTP)
• Surface plains and maria on Mars
• Dust storms on Mars
• Polar ice caps of Mars
• Belts of Jupiter
• Transits of the moons of Jupiter
• Clouds of Saturn
• Rings of Saturn

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#29 Deep Red 6% Transmission
Description:
Longpass filter blocking visible wavelengths below 600nm
Enhances:
• Mercury/sky contrast
• Surface features on Mercury
• Venus/sky contrast
• Terminator on Venus
• Surface plains and maria on Mars
• Polar ice caps of Mars
• Belts of Jupiter
• Transits of the moons of Jupiter
• Clouds of Saturn
• Collimating telescopes with large apertures

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#30 Lt. Magenta 27% Transmission
Description:
Green absorption filter. Transmits red and blue.
Enhances:
• Red and blue features on Mars
• Ovals of Jupiter
• Rings of Saturn
• Blue/green contrast on Uranus
• Blue/green contrast on Neptune

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#32 Magenta 13% Transmission
Description:
Minus green filter
Complements #12 minus blue and #44A minus red
Enhances:
• Red and blue features on Mars
• Ovals of Jupiter
• Rings of Saturn
• Blue/green contrast on Uranus
• Blue/green contrast on Neptune

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#38A Blue 17% Transmission
Description:
Absorbs red, some UV and some green light
Enhances:
• Clouds and atmospheric features of Venus
• Contrast of Venus in large telescopes
• Atmospheric clouds on Mars
• Dust storms on Mars
• Belts on Jupiter
• Great Red Spot on Jupiter
• Belts on Saturn

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#44A Lt. Blue-Green 14% Transmission
Description:
Minus red filter
Complements #12 minus blue and #32 minus green
Enhances:
• Lunar transient phenomenon (LTP)
• Limb hazes of Mars
• Terminator clouds of Mars

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#46 Deep Blue 2% Transmission
Description:
Absorption filter
Enhances:
• Clouds/atmospheric features on Venus
• Reduces Venus glare in large telescopes
• Lunar detail in large telescopes
• “Blue clearing” on Mars in large telescopes

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#47 Violet 3% Transmission
Description:
Blue tricolor filter used for color separation
Enhances:
• Clouds/atmospheric features on Venus
• Reduces Venus glare in large telescopes
• Lunar detail in large telescopes
• “Blue clearing” on Mars in large telescopes
• Polar ice caps of Mars in large telescopes
• Limb hazes and terminator clouds of Mars
• Rings of Saturn in large telescopes