Viewing the sun question

Joe S. wrote:
I have two scopes -- ETX-90 GOTO and XT-8 Dob. I have an Orion solar filter
for each scope -- these are described in the Orion catalog as "full-aperture
glass solar filter."

Today I tried viewing the sun with the ETX-90. I set up and aligned the
scope, put the end caps on the finder scope and put the solar filter on the
scope. Then, I found the sun in the Autostar controller (it's listed under
"Asteroids") and told the scope to GOTO. It did -- but -- looking through
the scope, I could not see anything -- tried focusing back and forth but
really could not tell that I was seeing anything.

What am I looking for?

A big round ball - well, as big around as the full moon. Often the sun
is a naked eye object during the day grin, so the goto is not needed.
Some people find a "shadow finder" useful - something to cast a shadow
on a mark on a screen that indicates the tube is pointed at the sun -
you can make one out of a small cardboard box and tape. Alternatively
you could make a solar filter for your finderscope as well. BTW, I'd
tape on the filters so there's no chance of accidental dislodgement.

"Joe S." wrote in message
...
I have two scopes -- ETX-90 GOTO and XT-8 Dob. I have an Orion solar
filter
for each scope -- these are described in the Orion catalog as
"full-aperture
glass solar filter."

Today I tried viewing the sun with the ETX-90. I set up and aligned the
scope, put the end caps on the finder scope and put the solar filter on
the
scope. Then, I found the sun in the Autostar controller (it's listed
under
"Asteroids") and told the scope to GOTO. It did -- but -- looking through
the scope, I could not see anything -- tried focusing back and forth but
really could not tell that I was seeing anything.

What am I looking for?

Thanks.

--

----

Joe S.



I've never owned an ETX, but I do own an LX200. I know for certain that the
sun is NOT in the LX200 data base and I suspect that it is similarly not in
the ETX data base. If it were, Meade would have been paying millions in law
suites to people who lost their eyse at the telescope. A better way to find
the sun in your ETX is to buy some film and use this as a filter for your
finder. Having said that, you don't really need it as finding that big old
sun in the sky is super easy.

Al

"Al" wrote in message
news

I've never owned an ETX, but I do own an LX200. I know for certain that
the
sun is NOT in the LX200 data base and I suspect that it is similarly not
in
the ETX data base. If it were, Meade would have been paying millions in
law
suites to people who lost their eyse at the telescope. A better way to
find
the sun in your ETX is to buy some film and use this as a filter for your
finder. Having said that, you don't really need it as finding that big
old
sun in the sky is super easy.

Al,

I assume you mean he should by some solar filter material for his finder!?

Meade seems unusually paranoid about using any of their scopes for solar
viewing. The don't even often solar filters, although there are numerous
filters that are perfectly safe, and you can buy one from some other vendor.

When lacking a finder, I usually just look at the shadow the scope casts.
There is usually some part of it that can easily reveal when you are pointed
at the Sun.

Clear skies, Alan

lal_truckee wrote in message ...
Often the sun
is a naked eye object during the day

Not for long if you actually look at it.


Clear skies!

--
------------------- Richard Callwood III --------------------
~ U.S. Virgin Islands ~ USDA zone 11 ~ 18.3N, 64.9W ~
~ eastern Massachusetts ~ USDA zone 6 (1992-95) ~
--------------- http://cac.uvi.edu/staff/rc3/ ---------------

"Joe S." wrote in message ...


What am I looking for?

Thanks.

You don't need fancy gadgets for lining up on the Sun. Get any bit of
card and cast a shadow of your scope tube on it. This works with any
normal telescope. When the shadow is as round as possible then you
have the tube aligned on the Sun. I just use the ground as a screen
because the lawn is smooth enough to show the scope's shadow clearly.
Now check the filter is safely attached before bringing your eye
anywhere near the eyepiece. Check every single time you go to look
through the scope that the filter is firmly attached until it is
completely automatic behaviour.
Start with a low power eyepiece to make finding the Sun's image
easier in the field of view and then focussing will be a doddle. The
edge of the Sun always seems sharp unless you push the magnification
too high. So focus on the edge first. Then you'll see any sunspots
that are visible pop into view and can fine tune your focussing on the
spots.
The "magic" of your first view of the Sun will surprise you. As long
as you remember to fit the filter. Otherwise it may be your last view
of anything in that eye.
Do NOT leave the scope unnattended. Not even for seconds in the
daylight without attentive adult supervision. The Sun may go behind a
cloud and you go off to find another eyepiece or something. A little
kid wanders by and wants to look through the exciting telescope set up
in the yard. The filter falls off with the rough handling or a breeze
has picked up and flipped the filter off the scope..... you now have a
blind kid in your neighbourhood. Don't let it happen.
Be careful out there.

Chris.B

"Joe S." wrote in message
...
I have two scopes -- ETX-90 GOTO and XT-8 Dob. I have an Orion solar
filter
for each scope -- these are described in the Orion catalog as
"full-aperture
glass solar filter."

Today I tried viewing the sun with the ETX-90. I set up and aligned the
scope, put the end caps on the finder scope and put the solar filter on
the
scope. Then, I found the sun in the Autostar controller (it's listed
under
"Asteroids") and told the scope to GOTO. It did -- but -- looking through
the scope, I could not see anything -- tried focusing back and forth but
really could not tell that I was seeing anything.

What am I looking for?

Thanks.
I'm amazed if Meade do have the Sun, anywhere in their database.
The normal method of pointing a scope at the Sun, is to 'work backwards'. In
your case, the ETX, has a parellel section of tube at the front, and a
plastic 'body' at the rear of the scope. If you point the scope roughly
towards the Sun, and look at the body of the scope, you will see a shadow
being cast be the front of the scope, along it's own tube. If you use the
hand controller, you will find that you can make this shadow get longer, and
then start to get shorter as you swing past the Sun. You can do this in both
motion axes. The point you want, is where the shadow reaches down to touch
the plastic body, all round the scope at the same time. If the scope was
reasonably set up to North/horizontal, it will track quite well. You also
want a low power eyepiece (the Sun, is a large object, so start with
something like the normal 26mm eyepiece to find it).

Best Wishes

In article , Joe S. wrote:
I have two scopes -- ETX-90 GOTO and XT-8 Dob. I have an Orion solar filter
for each scope -- these are described in the Orion catalog as "full-aperture
glass solar filter."

Today I tried viewing the sun with the ETX-90. I set up and aligned the
scope, put the end caps on the finder scope and put the solar filter on the
scope. Then, I found the sun in the Autostar controller (it's listed under
"Asteroids") and told the scope to GOTO. It did -- but -- looking through
the scope, I could not see anything -- tried focusing back and forth but
really could not tell that I was seeing anything.

As others have said, you can get the filter-equipped 'scope
pointed approximately at the sun, maybe by adjusting until its
shadow is smallest.

But if the sun's disk isn't in the eyepiece,
it's easier to find the sun if you *remove* the eyepiece
(leaving the filter in place of course), look into the
eyepiece tube from a few inches away, and maybe sweep the scope around a bit.
You won't get much of an image, but you'll get a wider field,
and should be able to see that the sun is there if you pass near it.
Then center it and re-insert the eyepiece.

What am I looking for?

In the filter-but-no-eyepiece case, just seeing any sort of glow
which moves when you move the telescope probably means you've
found the sun.

Once you have the eyepiece in, it'll depend on the magnification.
At low power you'll see a whole round disk (possibly very
blurred if it's far out of focus). At higher power,
the sun could easily be larger than your field of view,
so you might see just a featureless glow filling the field.
If so, sweep the 'scope a bit to try to catch the edge of the glow,
and twiddle the focus until you see a sharp edge.