Baader Solar Continuum Filter

• Baader 1.25" & 2" Solar Continuum Filter, 10nm / CWL 540nm
• Enhances contrast and reduces the effect of atmospheric turbulence.
• Also a must for owners of achromatic refractors. This filter cuts the spectral range transmitting a specific spectral range around 540nm, completely cutting out blue and red wavelengths in an area of the lens system that where the optics are at their sharpest.
• This filter must be used in conjunction with a Baader Herschel Wedge or Baader AstroSolar Safety Film for solar observations otherwise permanent eye or equipment damage will occur.
• Planeoptically polished, non-ageing sealed coating edges.

The new Baader Solar Continuum filter is designed to enhance the visibility of solar granulation and sunspot details. By transmitting a specific spectral region around 540nm, free of emission and absorption lines, the Solar Continuum filter is able to boost contrast and reduce the effects of atmospheric turbulence. With the Solar Continuum filter in place, images snap to focus, and granulation becomes regularly visible. Details at the limit of visibility become easier to hold, and image motion reduced.

The Solar Continuum filter works well in all types of telescopes, for both visual and imaging. Users of SCTs and achromatic refractors will find it particularly beneficial, as it completely excludes the red and blue wavelengths, and centers on the peak visual wavelengths where the telescope optics are sharpest and free from chromatic aberrations. For digital imaging, we also recommend the Continuum filter be combined with our UV/IR Cut Filter (to completely cut the defocused far infrared wavelengths).

The Solar Continuum filter also makes the perfect star test filter. It's narrow bandpass and complete blockage of longer and shorter wavelengths make it superior to standard green colored filters for testing refractors at their center design wavelength (and peak visual wavelength). With this filter, more accurate appraisals of optical quality can be made, without the effects of spherochromatism or secondary color error. Due to the narrow 10nm bandpass, star testing through the Solar Continuum filter will require a bright test star.

As with all Baader Planetarium Filters, the Solar Continuum possesses all the trademark Baader filter qualities. Optical, Physical, and Mechanical quality are superb. For a summary of filter features, please see the Filters page.

The combination of AstroSolar® Photo Film 3.8 and Solar Continuum filter is used exclusively for photography of the sun at high magnifications. This combination is highly apt to capture the finest solar surface detail and granulation at extremely high magnification while enabling ultra-short exposure (measured in milliseconds) in order to freeze atmospheric turbulence.

Please Note: For safe use, the Solar Continuum filter must be used in conjunction with a primary solar filter (ie, Herschel Wedge Prism, or Baader AstroSolar Film). It must be placed After the primary filter, and cannot be used alone, or permanent eye and equipment damage will result.