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A small burn and a startling reminder

Azure

By Azure
in Observing - Discussion

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Azure

Azure

Posted
Posted

Please be very careful while solar observing!

I just managed to slightly burn myself (and ruin my solar filter) by making some very silly mistakes.

A startling reminder as to the danger of amateur solar astronomy. 

post-20453-0-23942200-1385125337_thumb.j

(You can see the hole the sun made)

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Steve Ward

Steve Ward

Posted
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Judging by the size of the filter and the hole in it it looks as though you had it on the eyepiece end ..... !!!! 

Cannot see how you'd have got a concentrated area of Sunlight otherwise .

Please tell me this was not the case , and explain EXACTLY how it occured .... ?

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Paul M

Paul M

Posted
Posted

Please be very careful while solar observing!

I just managed to slightly burn myself (and ruin my solar filter) by making some very silly mistakes.

A startling reminder as to the danger of amateur solar astronomy. 

attachicon.gifphoto.JPG

(You can see the hole the sun made)

A burn to the eye? 

I have a blind spot in the center of vision in my right eye. It's exactly the same size as the naked eye sun!

That happened when I was about 11 while squinting along my telescope tube to roughly align it with the low and dim (??) Sun one January. Done it a million times before and never had any bother...

I'm sure you can talk us through your incident without too many judgmental comments. 

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Cath

Cath

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I'm only guessing here but it looks like you've been trying to use solar filter film at the eye piece end of your telescope?

The solar filter film is NOT meant to be used there, it's meant to be used over the front of your telescope, BEFORE the suns rays are focused..

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Azure

Azure

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Wait wait for clarification I did not burn my eye! And I know that the filter goes on the 'big end' of the scope.

I was doing some solar observation to show a relative what it was like. My scope was pointed the sun, and while it was pointed that way I (stupidly) took the main cover to show the filter to my relative. I quickly noticed the focused sunlight coming out of the eyepiece. I moved my hand over it (how stupid can I get) and lightly burnt my hand, so I then grabbed the nearest thing (the solar filter) and stuck it on the eyepiece. Obviously the light immediately burnt through it. It was only then that I had the sense to slew the scope away from the sun. 

Thanks for all the concern though. No serious damage done, just a lesson well learnt! Never felt so stupid.

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Steve Ward

Steve Ward

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Good to hear there's no lasting damage , lesson learned ... 

Good job you weren't imaging or there'd have been a nasty smell of expensive burning camera .

Would advise , albeit far too late , that the filter is secured to the scope in such a way that it can't be easily removed , knocked or blown off.

Hope you get some blue to aim at tomorrow , you might just catch the last view of the monster spot.

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Spikey

Spikey

Posted
Posted

Please be very careful while solar observing!

I just managed to slightly burn myself (and ruin my solar filter) by making some very silly mistakes.

A startling reminder as to the danger of amateur solar astronomy. 

attachicon.gifphoto.JPG

(You can see the hole the sun made)

This looks like you either have a scope with a 10mm aperture or you have indeed incorrectly installed the solar film on the wrong end of the scope i.e. over the eyepiece. Possible you had it over the smaller aperture of course but it still doesn't look big enough. It looks conical like it needs to sit over something like an EP.

There's no shame in admitting this is the case and it would be quite useful as a reminder to show what happens if  a simple mistake is made.

Consider yourself very lucky not to be blinded permanently.

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Stu

Stu

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@ SIMON.

If you took the time to read the thread you'd have seen his explanation .... :rolleyes:

I agree with you Steve, but looking at the original picture, the filter does look tiny, more ep sized than scope sized? I guess it was just a small scope?

Stu

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Stu

Stu

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Yes, probably true. There is a larger looking filter underneath, not sure what that is? As an observation, the film looks like it is stretched taught over the small filter when it should be left unstretched.

Stu

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Spikey

Spikey

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That was my first stated reaction , but I assume the filter was fitted to the small aperture of the front cap on the 200P in the OP's signature.

Agreed and it's a possibility but the conical nature of the device led me to challenge that assumption.

Not that it really matters. I'm just pleased that Azure wasn't hurt. I was rather hoping we could possibly include it in a safe solar observing sticky.

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Azure

Azure

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That was my first stated reaction , but I assume the filter was fitted to the small aperture of the front cap on the 200P in the OP's signature.

Correct! Since there's been some discussion about it, here is how it fits:  

post-20453-0-94120000-1385239365_thumb.j

post-20453-0-90670900-1385239376_thumb.j

post-20453-0-70386400-1385239386_thumb.j

It's just some baader solar film made into a disc which in turn is attatched to a cardboard tube which I measured to fit into the scopes cover hole thing.

It's not the nicest to look at but it does the job. Or it used to anyway.

I just want everyone to remember to never ever point there scope at the sun without a cover on. Otherwise your eyepiece will turn into a photon powered incinerator. 

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Luke

Luke

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Scary reminder Azure of the care we need to take, thanks for your honesty and for raising awareness.

I know that sometimes complacency can creep in when handling potentially dangerous things. I try to keep reminding myself of the care that needs to be taken.

I still wince at the thought of a close shave I saw a builder have with an angle grinder, he was so used to handling it and got complacent (no serious damage done, phew!...)

Keep safe, folks.

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