Solar Expectations

[Simon Pepper]

Hi all

I am looking to try some solar with my usual night equipment but want to understand better what’s possible. I am not sure I want to spend 1000s on a dedicated Ha scope or chromosphere yet, but I am not actually sure what is possible with the equipment I have…. I have an ES127 a WO Redcat. I am planning on buying the solar film from FLO to go over the objectives and also the baader continuum filter both listed below. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/solar-filters/astrozap-baader-solar-filter.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/solar-filters/baader_2961580.html

i also have a mono camera (1600) so how does that work with with this filter? Do I need to shoot RGB and then add the continuum filter? Will I get any colour at all? I assume a dedicated planetary camera would be better than the 1600mm so I am open to suggestions too, but if anyone knows what I can expect here I will be much obliged. 

obviously with solar one has to be very careful I will be ensure to remove the guidescope as I will be imaging any other advisories you have will be noted with care.

Thanks  Simon
 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Simon Pepper

[Elp]

The baader solar film will give you a white/grey image hence why it's called white light:

There's also the Seymour Solar filter which provides a yellow coloured image.

So you use the camera as is (with front objective of the scope fully covered with the solar film in a sturdy self made or pre made cell), you can also use it with the continuum in before the camera which is supposed to provide more contrast for visual use (I suspect it will be green in colour) but I bought a cheap green filter instead which does a similar thing and the sun is green. I don't use it much.

The colour is usually added in post processing where you add a colour layer on top (or however each software works) so you can make it whatever colour you want.

A hydrogen alpha scope will however provide a night and day difference to the appearance of the sun as you'll see prominences, filaments etc which is just not possible with white light due to requiring a very narrow specific bandpass (656nm), observing over enough time you'll also see them moving in real time depending on the activity, halpha imaging however is a bit more involved depending on your configuration:

Planetary cameras are preferred as they provide faster frame rates which is what you want when solar (or planetary) imaging as the thermal conditions of the atmosphere will cause the sun to wobble/blur in and out constantly, by taking images/video at a high frame rate you increase the probability of capturing it when it was fairly still and clear. A mono camera is also better for solar.

Once your session is done you use a program like autostakkert, go through the process and only stack something like the best 10-20% of all the hundreds/thousands of frames you captured depending on the quality of seeing at the time of capture. Further contrast, sharpening, colourisation etc can be done after this process.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Elp

[Simon Pepper]

Thanks @Elp so I can expect to see sun spots as per your white light first example, but I can also add a colour hue in post to provide some broadband looking final result? That second image of the Ha scope is incredible. I remember a year ago or so I went over a gentleman’s house on here he was selling an 14 inch SCT and unbelievably lived basically the road over he had a Ha scope setup and let me have a look through it needless to say I have never seen the sun like that before or since so at some point I will save my  pennies as it looked amazing prominences dancing in the solar wind 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Simon Pepper

[Elp]

Yes, as with anything imaging related, most of the detail work comes in post processing, and you can colour it how you want. If you've manage to capture it, in white light you can also sometimes capture light and dark areas (patches) on the surface of the sun which show up when increasing the contrast and shadows/highlights.