Solar viewing

[Robthevegetable]

Hi all,

Very new to the forum (joined today), but already feel right at home... So thanks.

Now, I'm still awaiting my telescope which should be winging it's way as we speak (along with extra EP and filters (lunar & solar)). I was just wondering when was the best time of day/year to view the Sun (i.e. Closeness, activity or clarity)?

The pictures I've seen of the Sun on here have blown me away. I realise I won't get as stunning pics with my 130 SLT, but I still want to see it in all it's glory.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Rob

[John]

The sun looks good pretty much anytime - havn't seen it for a while though !.

Your filter will show the white light view so you should get some nice views of sunspots and faculae. You need specialist equipment to see the prominences of course (sorry - I'm sure you know that).

I guess the views might be slightly clearer as the sun is higher in the sky but it's worth a look any time of the year - properly filtered of course !.

[Robthevegetable]

Yeh, I think the filter I ordered offered the White view your talking about... Like I said in the previous post, I'm not expecting to see all it's glorious detail with the scope I've ordered... But Sun-spots and a little activity would be excellent for now.

[Lensman]

Hi Rob, you didn't mention what type of solar filter you got but make sure it sits at the front of the scope, reflecting away harmful light before it enters the scope, and not the eyepiece type which can be dangerous.

[Robthevegetable]

It's Celestron's own filter, and it is absolutely the one that sits where the dust cap would normally fit... Nice and secure!

[Lensman]

Perfect

[John]

I'd put some tape on there as well - just to be sure !

If it were to fall off for any reason while you had your eye to an eyepiece - instant fried eyeball

Cover your finder as well, if it's the optical type.

No apologies for sounding over cautious on this - I'm sure you will understand

[Robthevegetable]

The filter screws into the tube, so should be secure enough not to fall out, but do you mean put tape around the edge of where the filter joins the edge of the tube?

My scope has a red dot finder, so would you recommend removing that while solar viewing just to be on the safe side... After all, the Sun should be reasonably easy to find in the sky. I have read about various methods of finding it, so it'll just be a case of trial and error for which one best suits me.

The concern is very much appreciated though!!

[JohnDenim]

This is just the subject I have been searching for!

Can anyone post a link for suitable solar filters please?

I would love to look at the sun, but don't want to go blind doing it.

FYI, I'm very new to Astronomy.

[sammy1404]

same lol

i want to see the sun, sun spots and flares, especially flares along with CME's. Can anyone suggest something for me to use on my skywatcher skyliner 250px (10inch) dobsonian? other tips appreciated

[Robthevegetable]

That is a fair point, would it be possible to see any of that with my 130 SLT, or is it simply not powerful enough? I've seen people talking about h-alpha but not really sure what that means, or you go about viewing in it.

[ollypenrice]

H alpha scopes are sun-only instruments and quite expensive, starting with the small Lunt and Coronado PST models and working up. They come it an around five hndred and then go up in leaps and bounds but they show prominences and surface details. You can also buy Ha solar filters to use with small refractors but this does not save much over buying a dedcated scope. What you see at the EP is very like what you capture in images. This is from a Lunt LS60, though you see a full disk and the colour is a much deeper red;

H alpha light is the colour given out by ionized hydrogen when the hydrogen atoms recombine with an electron. It is also important in deep sky imaging but the filters are much broader and not at all suitable for the sun. Never confuse them. My solar scope came from Ian King Imaging.

You do not need a large scope for the sun. In fact most people wilth big scopes make solar white light filters which are much smaller than the main aperture of the scope. 70mm is plenty to show excellent susnspot detail. Most astro shops have glass solar filters or you can use Baader Astrosolar Mylar film to make your own. As ever, be sure to make this carefully and securely.

Olly

ollypenrice's Photos

[John]

The filter screws into the tube, so should be secure enough not to fall out, but do you mean put tape around the edge of where the filter joins the edge of the tube?

My scope has a red dot finder, so would you recommend removing that while solar viewing just to be on the safe side... After all, the Sun should be reasonably easy to find in the sky. I have read about various methods of finding it, so it'll just be a case of trial and error for which one best suits me.

The concern is very much appreciated though!!

You should be fine - if the filter screws in then it should be secure - it is the large type that goes over the top of the scope isn't it ?. Ie: not the small type that goes at the eyepiece end ?.

It's the optical type of finder that should be covered. The red dot type are OK although they won't be any use when lining the scope up with sun - you will need to do that be lining the outside of the tube up with the sun.

[John]

To see stuff like in Olly's photo (and it really does look like that !) you need a specialised scope as he says. I had one for a while - a Coronado PST (Personal Solar telescope) which views the sun in hydrogen-alpha light. Amazing devices but can only be used on the sun. The alternative is to modify another telescope but that costs even more than the £470 or so that the PST costs.

It's nothing to do with scope power / aperture though - the PST is just 40mm in aperture, but it's those highly specialised, and expensive filters that are the key.

[russ]

There's also the Lunt LS35 for Ha solar viewing, which is a little cheaper than the PST at £419. But still relatively expensive, no cheap way into Ha Solar viewing. Secondhand PST's sell for £250 (really lucky) to the normal £300-350.

White light viewing is still pretty satisfying though. Especially when sun is peppered with spots.

[ollypenrice]

...and worth mentioning that we are in the rising phase of sunspot activity so now is a good time to start solar observing.

Olly

[Robthevegetable]

That's good news Olly, how long does the sunspot phase usually last?