Solar Viewing?

Justin1982

Wondering what I should do to get into solar viewing?

It seems that basic solar telescopes are about 800 euro.
Anywhere I can get them cheaper than that?

I have a Celestron 127EQ Powerseeker that I bought from Argos.
Wondering if I can get a cheap solar filter for it?
And how would that work? I presume you just fit the filter over the mouth of the telescope where the light enters? Is it safe generally? Or even worth the money?

ZeRoY

Some on here should be able to help better but basically solar viewing is extremely dangerous and so whatever device you use you should make sure to have a very good. well attached Solar filer on the end of Scope.

jonon9

The cheapest form of solar viewing will be projection viewing. project an image from your scope onto a white piece of card but please be careful all it takes is a few seconds of sun to cause eye damage.

Another method is either buy a H-alpha filter which can cost a heck of a lot of money or buy a Mylar sheet and make a homemade filter. if your seriously interested in viewing the sun than maybe it worth investing in a Coronado PST for more long term use

Pat Dunne

A number of years ago I made my own solar filter using the following link http://www.baader-planetarium.com/sofifolie/bauanleitung_e.htm

Justin1982

In the end I've gone with this solution.....
https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p1815_Baader-Solar-Filter-for-telescopes-up-to-6

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custom-made.html

About 130 euro all in.

H-Alpha Solar Telescopes are 800 euro which is fairly pricey.
https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2440_Coronado-PST-solar-telescope-for-H-Alpha-observation.html

Anyone know what the real difference in view of sun would be between the solar filter and the Coronado?

I know the magnification of coronado is 10x and through my telescope it will be > 50x but in terms of quality of image through filter on my telescope I'm uncertain

Tzetze

Baader solar film filter

Coronado PST

Popoutman

Don't use a Newtonian scope as a projection source. The concentrated heat on the diagonal may cause problems. Also be wary of buildup of heat within the eyepieces. I've seen melted eyepieces (metal not plastic) from attempts to project the sun with reflectors.

Only use a cheap small refractor as a solar projection source, with cheap eyepieces.

If you use a front-mounted Mylar filter, then things are a lot better and easier to work with. Just make sure that the filter is very positively mounted to the scope and can't fall or be blown or brushed off. Preferably screwed on..

Second-hand PSTs go for a lot cheaper than €800 and would probably be the best bang for the buck for solar observing, as you get the prominences, the pure sunspot view when shifted outside the sweet spot, and of course getting to see the chromosphere with the associated filament structures with all the detailed structure. Mylar filters will give you only the sunspot view. while better than nothing may underwhelm.