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Best telescope for solar viewing? -Another Wise Guy - Macon, GA USA
I am looking for a telescope for viewing sunspots and other solar features. If it's usable for other purposes (especially viewing features on the moon), all the better, but sunspots are the main purpose. My budget is in the $300 to $600 range, and I know nothing about telescopes. I don't do photography, but may wish to start someday. Not knowing anything about this, my guess is that I don't need a lot of light gathering ability, but that I do need various filters that will show different aspects of the sun. What would be a good scope for this purpose? Am I out of line with my desired price range? -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Just Another Internet Wise Guy Macon, GA USA | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Before doing anything, you should read the Telescope Buyers FAQ to get an
overall idea about telescopes. Then you need to check out the solar filters that are being made, they go from almost free to a special solar scope for over $1,000. I have viewed the sun with it's image projected on a sheet of white posterboard via my Babylon 8 Dob. Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord -- "In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening towards an east that would not know another dawn. But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go again." Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars SIAR www.starlords.org Bishop's Car Fund http://www.bishopcarfund.Netfirms.com/ Freelance Writers Shop http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord "Another Wise Guy - Macon, GA USA" wrote in message ... I am looking for a telescope for viewing sunspots and other solar features. If it's usable for other purposes (especially viewing features on the moon), all the better, but sunspots are the main purpose. My budget is in the $300 to $600 range, and I know nothing about telescopes. I don't do photography, but may wish to start someday. Not knowing anything about this, my guess is that I don't need a lot of light gathering ability, but that I do need various filters that will show different aspects of the sun. What would be a good scope for this purpose? Am I out of line with my desired price range? -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Just Another Internet Wise Guy Macon, GA USA | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/03 |
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"Another Wise Guy - Macon, GA USA" wrote in message ... I am looking for a telescope for viewing sunspots and other solar features. If it's usable for other purposes (especially viewing features on the moon), all the better, but sunspots are the main purpose. My budget is in the $300 to $600 range, and I know nothing about telescopes. I don't do photography, but may wish to start someday. Not knowing anything about this, my guess is that I don't need a lot of light gathering ability, but that I do need various filters that will show different aspects of the sun. What would be a good scope for this purpose? Am I out of line with my desired price range? Sunspots (fortunately), can be seen in white light, so a cheap solar filter will allow almost any scope to give views of these (and things like faculae). Unfortunately, you then talk about 'various filters that will show different aspects of the Sun'. Forget this. The 'white light' filter (based on something like Baader astrosolar film), will let through about 1/10000th the incoming light. You can then use normal coloured filters as well to give this light a 'tint', but don't expect to see anything very different through these than you can through the white light filter on it's own. The filters that do show different 'aspects' of the Sun, are extremely narrow bandwidth filters, and are just about the most accurate optical assemblies sold, with something like the Coronado H-alpha filter, in it's smallest size (40mm) costing just under $1300 on it's own... So, I'm afraid you need to rethink a little here. The second problem is the 'latter photography' idea. The simplest form of astrophotography, is just to attach a standard camera to look through the eyepiece, and take relatively short exposures. This works well for planets, and a couple of the very brightest objects (the classic, is Orion's nebula). This could be done using allmost any scope. However going beyond this, then requires a mount good enough to hold the assembly very stable, and this increases the cost of the scope as whole. I think I'd probably look at a small achromat, that is good enough to be a small (and portable) general purpose scope in the future. Attach this to a reasonable GEM mount (perhaps look at second hand to keep costs down, or start with a solid photographic tripod), and combine this with a white light solar filter. This should be 'do-able' in your budget. An example of the sort of scope that would fit this description, would be the Stellarvue 80mm f/6 unit. For the price, this is a nice little scope. A white light filter, using the Baader film, can be made 'DIY', for under $30. Using a photographic tripod should just about keep you inside your budget... Best Wishes |
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