Visual of the Sun

[erick (Eric)]

OK, I didn't expect to, but I'm getting a yearning to look at ol' Sol through my 8" reflector. Nothing fancy - just see the surface, the occasional sunspots, and maybe some prominent flares?

So I make up a filter out of Baader Solar film and fit that over the front of the scope - so it doesn't blow off (eek!) - any suggestions of how to do this, please? I couldn't find any designs/pictures on the forum. (Edit:- Woops, cancel that - I've just found Mike's 2005 article )

Then I get to see (AOE's site says) the Sun as white on a black sky background - yes?

So I then pop a yellow filter on my eyepiece and I see a yellow sun to show all the family who don't understand a white sun - does that work, yes?

(Oh, and remember to cap my Finderscope!!)


Thanks in advance

Eric

[bojan]

Erick, to see a Sun surface, the easiest way is to project the image by means of eyepiece on the piece of paper.
You should also reduce the aperture to, say, 5cm in diameter, in order not to overheat the eyepiece.

[vindictive666 (John)]

Originally Posted by bojan

Erick, to see a Sun surface, the easiest way is to project the image by means of eyepiece on the piece of paper.
You should also reduce the aperture to, say, 5cm in diameter, in order not to overheat the eyepiece.

ive got 12 inch gso dob with an full aperture baader solar filter, it gives a great and a fantastic view i saw no need to cut dow to a smaller aperture

no overheating at all

[bojan]

Originally Posted by vindictive666

ive got 12 inch gso dob with an full aperture baader solar filter, it gives a great and a fantastic view i saw no need to cut dow to a smaller aperture

no overheating at all

If you are using Baader filter, of course there is no overheating of the eyepiece.
In my previous response I was referring to eyepiece projection, where there is no filter, and 8" or 12" mirror at full aperture will overheat eyepiece and even melt down the whole thing in case of use of cheap plastic parts

[csb (Craig)]

My 6" reflector has a offset hole in the front lens cover and I fixed a piece of the solar film to some cardboard and very securely stuck it on underside of lenscover.

(Perhaps better would be to cut out a suitably shaped piece of plastice and bond or attach with small bolts to cover.)

The filter is protected from damage as the offset hole has its own cover.

This also saves on film, although I also made a full aperture filter also.

I couldn't see any difference in full aperture and offset.

You won't see any proms with the film - Requesto mucho $$$ prominarios! Si? Si!

[erick (Eric)]

Update. Glad I waited (OK, procrastinated!) Cookie8 has just sold me a genuine Thousand Oaks 3" offset aperture solar filter to fit (hopefully) on my dob. Sunspots and surface granulation - here I come!

So what is this
<==================!!

Sunspots vanish when solar filters are purchased!! One miserable little spot is visible at present?

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Sorry to disappoint Erick, but you are unlikely to see prominances with that filter. You need a Ha filter for that. I hope I'm wrong but I didn't see any when using mine.

[erick (Eric)]

Note - "sunspots and surface granulation" - yep, I already knew that was all I would see - but that's a good start for a relatively low investment. And I get a tan while observing

[erick (Eric)]

Well, not tanned, but I did get the filter in place today and observed. And, as I thought - not a single little sunspot in sight!! Lovely view of the sun's disc, however. I'm happy with that. I did push up the magnification, but from the way the limb was shimmering, I suspect seeing was not good enough to see any surface granulation. I suspect that will be a challenge most of the time?
Actually, the best view I had was in the first few seconds I looked. Through my 26mm eyepiece, a bird flew in front of the sun and seemed to hang for a few seconds on the sun's image. A glorious silhouette! A good omen?

Come on sunspots, Mercury, Venus - do your stuff! I'm ready.