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Jul 29, 2023

The best light pollution filters for astrophotography 2023

The best light pollution filters help reduce the effects of urban skyglow and

The best light pollution filters help reduce the effects of urban skyglow and are an essential accessory for astrophotographers.

Investing in one of the best light pollution filters is a great idea whether you're a keen astrophotographer or just beginning your night photography journey.

A hundred years ago, if you went outside at night, you could easily spot a number of constellations in the sky. However, modern times and urbanization have made this gadget essential. Nowadays, it is estimated that 80% of Americans can't even see the Milky Way from where they live.

This is mostly due to light pollution from cities, which prevents you from seeing any stars unless you're far away from streetlights. In most towns and cities, only the 20 or so brightest stars are visible in downtown areas.

Although there are different kinds of light pollution, skyglow is the one most despised by astrophotographers. It causes the sky to brighten over inhabited areas and creates a horrible orangey-brown glow in your nightscapes. Skyglow also makes it harder to capture objects in the night sky, even with one of the best cameras for astrophotography.

Enter light pollution filters. These nifty instruments block specific wavelengths in the visible spectrum of light associated with skyglow. There are two types of filters available. Broadband filters are the best choice for reducing light pollution in astrophotography shots (from galaxies and comets to Milky Way panoramas and all-sky images of meteor showers). Narrowband filters are more appropriate if you want to allow the light from faint nebulas to shine through in your shots, to create more contrast and definition in your images.

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If you're into deep sky imaging of faint nebulas using CMOS or CCD cameras specifically designed to be used with telescopes then you may have heard of the Optolong L-Enhance light pollution filter. The follow-up is the L-eXtreme, an ultra-narrowband filter for urban astrophotographers wanting more contrast in their deep-sky images of nebulas from their backyard.

This filter maximizes the faint light coming into a camera from nebulas while separating out and eliminating skyglow by isolating two wavelengths of light, H-alpha (Ha) and Oxygen III (OIII) at seven nanometers. The Optolong L-Enhance does, however, restrict the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor, which can also make focusing and framing more challenging. As a result, expect a slightly darker image.

Our expert review:

The Hoya light pollution filter is very efficient in reducing the yellow, green, and brown color casts that sodium and mercury-vapor streetlights and other sources of general urban skyglow produce. The results are clear, contrasty nightscape images with more natural-looking colors than would be possible without the filter.

Don't let the name 'starscape' fool you; it can also be used to add more realistic color to your cityscape and landscape photographs.

Made in Japan, the high-quality Hoya Starcape comes in myriad sizes as a screw-on filter for camera lenses and has also now become available as a 100x100mm size for filter holders.

Our expert review:

The Kase Wolverine Neutral Night light pollution filter is made for astrophotography and all other types of night photography, including cityscapes. To allow more of the reddish light from nebulas to appear in your photographs, it reduces the orangey glow from old-style (but still dominant) streetlights.

It comes in various designs, from screw-on filters for various lens sizes to a square plate (to fit Lee, Haida & Hitech, Cokin Z and Nisi 100mm filter holders) as well as clip-in style filters to fit over the sensor in mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony. Read our light pollution filter FAQ to discover which shape you need. For further durability, the Pro HD optical glass is toughened and scratch-resistant. It also comes with a filter pouch for travel and secure storage.

Our expert review:

Natural Night was one of the first artificial light reduction filters sold and was created especially for night photographers. It is still a useful option for starscape shooters who want to reduce light pollution in their wide-angle photos. Available in a dizzying array of sizes, the Natural Night broadband filter effectively removes, or reduces, light pollution by blocking the yellow glow from sodium street lights.

Natural Night is unique in being available for the DJI Phantom 4 Pro and advanced DJI Mavic Pro drones, though that's aimed more at filming cityscapes at night rather than starscapes. The Natural Night filter is slightly more expensive than its competitors, but it also has a water-repellent coating.

A word of caution: The glass is only 0.07-inches / 2mm thick and is therefore quite fragile, so we'd recommend buying a hard-sided case to store it in.

Our expert review:

Urth (formerly GOBE) rebranded back in 2020 and launched some exciting new products, including their Neutral Night Plus+ light pollution filter.

It has a 20-layer Neodymium coating to cut light pollution's warm color cast to capture truer colors and elevate your night photography, and they claim their glass is the best in the world (although we're pretty sure every one of these brands will want to say that). These nano-layers also provide a higher maximum light transmission and a more consistent transmission curve for sharper images, better colors and greater depth.

We love this brand's ethics and its attitude towards the environment and conservation. They believe that photography plays an important role in the global conservation movement and they are continuously improving their products to further minimize their impact. Not only is all their packaging sustainable, recycled and recyclable, but they also display their impact reports on their website and they plant 5 trees in areas affected by deforestation with every product sold (they've currently planted just under 7 million).

Our expert review:

Available in limited sizes of circular filters and not at all for deep sky astrophotography, this filter is all about affordability. Don't expect it to eliminate the effects of broad-spectrum LED streetlighting (though that is true of many of the nightscape filters here), as it can only effectively block yellow and orange wavelengths of light from entering the lens. It does, however, reduce the appearance of orangey skyglow from sodium street lighting for night-sky photography.

Since it blocks out warmer light wavelengths, manufacturers advise photographers to use manual white balance and choose a color temperature between 700K and 1,500K to maintain accurate colors.

Our expert review:

Like many of the other broadband filters included here, the NanoPro Clear-Night Filter is designed to reduce light pollution from artificial sources and enhance starlight. It does that successfully by eliminating the yellowish glow in (and from) cities and giving nightscape images a more contrasty appearance with a more neutral color cast. It doesn't reduce luminosity, so your images will still appear bright, and you'll likely have to darken the skies in one of the best photo editing apps.

The scratch-resistant NanoPro Clear-Night Filter is available in many various sizes, both as circular filters and as filter inserts for filter holders. It is also available in tiny versions that can be put inside DJI drones to enhance their aerial footage at night.

Do you live in or near one of the best places for astrophotography and skywatching? Probably not. Whether or not you need a light pollution filter where you live — or where you intend to visit — will depend on where the location falls on a light pollution map. The measurements are done manually on the ground using a Sky Quality Meter (SQM), with results lower than 20 SQM meaning light polluted skies.

Another way of measuring the darkness of night skies is the Bortle scale, which rates skies from Class 1 (the darkest possible at 22 SQM) to Class 9 (inner-city skies at below 18 SQM). Read more in our How dark is your night sky? An observer's guide page. If you're in the latter, you're out of luck — no filter will get you great-looking astrophotography, but if you're in Class 5 or Class 6 suburban skies (about 19-20.5 SQM) then a light pollution filter can help night and astrophotographers enormously.

Yes, light pollution filters for cameras work by reducing the effects of light pollution when taking astrophotographs. Before you choose a light pollution filter it's worth bearing in mind that they are most effective when used with astro-modified cameras, meaning cameras that are specifically designed to shoot astrophotography. This is because these cameras are made to be more sensitive to hydrogen-alpha wavelengths.

The new generation of LED streetlights increasingly found in cities are more of a challenge to filter out because they emit light across a broader spectrum than traditional ones. This is important to keep in mind when choosing a filter to cut light pollution because most existing light pollution filters are designed to reduce the older, orange type that use sodium vapor to create the light.

Light pollution filters come in three distinct physical shapes and sizes: Circular filters that screw onto lenses, square filters that need to be used with a filter holder and tiny clip-in versions that can be placed over a camera's sensor. The former is best for wide-field starscapes and the latter for close-up astrophotography of celestial objects.

Exact specifications, ideal uses and prices vary wildly between models, from under $20 to several hundred. We've made sure to include filters at a variety of price points so you can find the perfect accessory no matter what your budget is.

In order to guarantee you’re getting honest, up-to-date recommendations on the best light pollution filters to buy here at Space.com we make sure to put every light pollution filter through a rigorous review to fully test each product. Each light pollution filter is reviewed based on a multitude of aspects, from its material, size, shape, compatibility and quality of filtration.

What equipment do you need for stargazing in a city? Best cameras for astrophotography Can you see stars in light-polluted skies?

Each light pollution filter is carefully tested by either our expert staff or knowledgeable freelance contributors who know their subject areas in depth. This ensures fair reviewing is backed by personal, hands-on experience with each light pollution filter and is judged based on its price point, class and destined use.

We look at how easy each light pollution filter is to operate, whether it uses the latest imaging technology and file format compatibility. We'll also make suggestions if a particular filter would benefit from any additional accessories to give you the best photographing experience possible.

With complete editorial independence, Space.com are here to ensure you get the best buying advice on light pollution filters, whether you should purchase one or not, making our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.

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Jamie is an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer who writes about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. He is the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners, and is a senior contributor at Forbes. His special skill is turning tech-babble into plain English.

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