Ha Filter for a telescope not purpose built for Solar Viewing

[CaptainQuasar]

Hello. 

I use a Celestron 70mm refracting telescope, with Baader AstroSolar safety film for my solar viewing. I've been doing solar observations and recordings for little over a year now and with the news of the large prominence today I was wondering if the Hydrogen Alpha filters that can be threaded are safe for visual. If they are not, and I get the feeling that they are not, can you double up the filter with the Baader AstroSolar to make viewing safe?

I'd love to have a PST but alas, it's a bit to expensive for me at this time. 

Thanks

CQ 

[xtreemchaos]

if these are the ones that screw into the eyepiece thay are not safe, you need a dedicated ha scope like a lunt or PST modded or quark to see proms don't be tempted with anything else you could lose your eyesight. charl.

[Davey-T]

Hi and welcome to SGL, you've done well to ask.

As Charl has said NEVER ever try to observe the Sun in HA without a purpose made solar HA filter.

Dave

[Zakalwe]

32 minutes ago, CaptainQuasar said:

Hello. 

I use a Celestron 70mm refracting telescope, with Baader AstroSolar safety film for my solar viewing. I've been doing solar observations and recordings for little over a year now and with the news of the large prominence today I was wondering if the Hydrogen Alpha filters that can be threaded are safe for visual. If they are not, and I get the feeling that they are not, can you double up the filter with the Baader AstroSolar to make viewing safe?

I'd love to have a PST but alas, it's a bit to expensive for me at this time. 

Thanks

CQ 

There are Ha filters that you can use. The current most popular is the Daystar Quark. To view chromosphere details you need to view in a very narrow wavelength of light (the wavelength emitted when a hydrogen electron drops down an energy level).

If all it took to view in H-a was a bit of solar film and a cheap filter then why would anyone be shelling out thousands for solarscopes?

[Floater]

2 hours ago, CaptainQuasar said:

Hello. 

I use a Celestron 70mm refracting telescope, with Baader AstroSolar safety film for my solar viewing. I've been doing solar observations and recordings for little over a year now and with the news of the large prominence today I was wondering if the Hydrogen Alpha filters that can be threaded are safe for visual. If they are not, and I get the feeling that they are not, can you double up the filter with the Baader AstroSolar to make viewing safe?

I'd love to have a PST but alas, it's a bit to expensive for me at this time. 

Thanks

CQ 

Hi, CQ. The Baader film allows you to view the Sun in white light. i.e. mainly sunspots. The Ha filters to which I think you are referring are a means to try and tease out Ha features and elements in Deep Sky Objects. As emphasised above you must never try to view the Sun using only that kind of filter. And if you use it along with the film it will be of absolutely no benefit at all. I suspect the only effect would be to dim your white light image.

Oranges and apples; not related.