Aurel Ashgrove lunar filter 1.25 in, premium grade

Specifications

Description

The Ashgrove lunar filter is a neutral-density filter in a 1.25 in threaded cell, designed to reduce the brightness of the Moon at the eyepiece. It transmits about 18 percent of incident light across the visible spectrum, which lowers the glare of the lunar surface without shifting its color. Because the attenuation is broadly even across wavelengths, the filter keeps the natural tones of maria and highlands, so you can judge albedo differences and crater floors as they appear.

Full moon and near-full phases put a large amount of light into a telescope, and at high magnification the glare can wash out fine detail along the terminator and on bright ejecta rays. A neutral-density filter reduces the total light entering your eye, which helps to preserve contrast and to ease eye strain during longer sessions. Many observers find it most useful in telescopes of 100 mm aperture and larger, where the lunar image is brightest at high magnification.

The filter threads onto the barrel of any 1.25 in eyepiece or the nosepiece of a 1.25 in diagonal. Handle the glass by its cell, avoid touching the optical faces, and store it in its case when not in use. Because the filter reduces light, the view may appear darker at the eyepiece, so focus at a lower power first and then add the filter if the image is too bright.

Lunar filters do not improve planetary or deep-sky observing, since they remove a significant share of light from those targets. Inserting it into the optical path can shift focus slightly, so refocus after installing it. Sharp focus is easiest to achieve by focusing on the bright lunar limb with the filter already in place, then making fine adjustments as the Moon moves through the field.

About this configuration

All configurations of the Aurel Ashgrove lunar filter 1.25 in share the same filter glass design; the options change the grade, the coating, and the case. The premium grade uses polished glass with tighter flatness tolerances, which helps at high magnification. Premium grade filters are checked for the position of the passband before they leave the factory. Hard-sputtered layers keep their passband stable over time, which matters if you compare images taken years apart.

A padded pouch is easy to open with cold fingers, which helps when you swap filters during a session. The 2026 edition carries the glass over unchanged and updates small parts such as the case and the labels. The transmission figures in the specifications apply to every configuration of the Ashgrove line.

What's in the box

• Lunar filter in 1.25 in threaded cell
• Plastic storage case
• Padded pouch

Compatibility notes

• Threads into 1.25 in eyepieces, diagonals, and filter wheels (M28.5 x 0.6).
• Most useful in telescopes of 100 mm aperture and larger at higher magnifications.