In preparation to the Mercury transit next month I'm stocking up on solar filter lenses. I've got a JMB glass filter for my 8" coming from
myastroshop hopefully in the next few weeks (Steve's getting some new ones in as well as some solar film). But in the meantime I thought I'd get some Baader solar film from
AOE and kit out my refractors, binoculars and finderscopes in case I get a crowd where I'm planning on setting up for imaging.
As you would expect we have had absolutely glorious days for the past few weeks (poor nights except when the moons nearly full
, but the days have been great usually) and there has been a little sunspot I've been wanting to image. Well the film turned up yesterday and I was looking forward to spending the evening making solar filter lenses. I had bought the A4 sheet which is enough for a full aperture filter for my 4" Celestron and the ED80, two filters for my binoculars, one for a 50mm finder and one for my 30m finder. (Actually I'm tempted to get another sheet and make enough filters for one for everything. Very handy for crowded viewing days and it's cheap enough. $45 per A4 sheet) Anyway.......back to last night.
It was a fun exercise sitting on the lounge room floor with glue and tape and cardboard and scissors and cutting knives and a breadboard for cutting on, (I should never have left preschool
) making the collars and putting it all together and making a mess with bits and pieces of filter, paper and cardboard everywhere (and it was very therapeutic
). I then got all my imaging gear and mount and everything I'd need in the morning prepared so all I had to do was plonk it all on the concrete and start viewing and imaging.
Look out tomorrow, I'm ready to go
Wake up this morning, wall to wall cloud
Someone somewhere has a very sick sense of humour.