Solar observing question

Greetings group....the rookie has another question.

I bought a solar filter (glass) for my 127mm refractor and wanted to try it
out yesterday. Can you believe this? I couldn't find the SUN!!!!
Seriously. I need some advice so I have some idea about what I'm looking
for.

Scope is FL 1000 I was using an 18mm Radian. Not sure where to find
focus on an object that close and I'm not sure how much of the sun will fill
the eyepiece. In other words, I may have been there but way out of focus.
How bright will it be? Do you use a shroud over your head to reduce outside
light? Was I using too much eyepiece? I also have 2" 40mm (scope is
f/8.3) and 1.25" 35mm Ultima.

I'd like to try again today. What should I use and what should I
anticipate?

Thanks for the help!

Chris

I use the shadow of my finder scope to get close. Aim at the sun and then
look at the shadow of your finder, move the whole telescope until the
finders shadow is as foreshortened as you can get it.

Assuming your finder is aligned with the scope. Temporally remove the
eyepiece caps. (You should keep them on anytime your looking at the sun
otherwise.)

Place your open palm of your right or left hand about 6-7 inches behind the
finders eyepiece. Slowly move the telescope around with your other hand
until you see the suns BRIGHT image being projected onto your open palmed
hand behind the finder. Center it in projected crosshairs as best you can,
and cover your finders main objective as soon as you can.

At this point, you should see the suns disk, or at least part of it thru
your main eyepiece and, it should take just a little touch up to get it
centered.

I've used this technique for as far back as I can recall and have never had
any problems with it.

Hope this helps, bright skies!!

F Marion

Thanks....

Can you advise eyepiece for fl 1000 scope? I should start very, very low
power?


"Francis Marion" wrote in message
news:Pcxic.14400$cF6.592051@attbi_s04...
I use the shadow of my finder scope to get close. Aim at the sun and then
look at the shadow of your finder, move the whole telescope until the
finders shadow is as foreshortened as you can get it.

Assuming your finder is aligned with the scope. Temporally remove the
eyepiece caps. (You should keep them on anytime your looking at the sun
otherwise.)

Place your open palm of your right or left hand about 6-7 inches behind
the
finders eyepiece. Slowly move the telescope around with your other hand
until you see the suns BRIGHT image being projected onto your open palmed
hand behind the finder. Center it in projected crosshairs as best you can,
and cover your finders main objective as soon as you can.

At this point, you should see the suns disk, or at least part of it thru
your main eyepiece and, it should take just a little touch up to get it
centered.

I've used this technique for as far back as I can recall and have never
had
any problems with it.

Hope this helps, bright skies!!

F Marion

Use an EP which would pretty neatly have the full Moon nearly filling the FOV.
The apparent diameter of the Sun from Earth is about the same as that of the
Moon, so the Moon provides a pretty good guide as to power to use.
Clear, Dark, Steady Skies!
(And considerate neighbors!!!)

"Francis Marion" wrote in message
news:Pcxic.14400$cF6.592051@attbi_s04...

Assuming your finder is aligned with the scope. Temporally remove the
eyepiece caps. (You should keep them on anytime your looking at the sun
otherwise.)

no, no , NO! Never remove the eyepiece caps when pointed at the Sun! Never
mind that the heat can damage some less expensive optics, a brief, momentary
glimpse of the sun trough the finder is enough to blind. You may be
conscious enough to remember not to look, but what about others who may be
around and not aware of the dangers?

I have never had trouble finding the sun with the shadow of the scope itself
agains the ground. Just line up the tube until the shadow is a circle, you
should be close enough to find it then. As allways, start with a low power
eypiece.

Harvey Wasserman

1. I sure hope your solar filter fits over the FRONT of your telescope and not
in the EP!
2. The Sun, for purposes of focus, is at infinity just as much as is the most
distant quasar.
3. As another person suggested, use the shadow of your finder to align on the
Sun. And cover the objective of the finder also, the heat might crack or
deform the finder's EP.

Clear, Dark, Steady Skies!
(And considerate neighbors!!!)

Thanks! Yes, The filter is over the objective and it's a good one. I

wasn't sure how dark things would be but they are REALLY dark. So, I

couldn't hit the sun....I didn't think about moon/size ratio to sun. That's

excellent. I will go with the wide eyepiece for starters...maybe the 32mm

2" wide angle...

Thank you.

Doink!

"Wfoley2" wrote in message
...
1. I sure hope your solar filter fits over the FRONT of your telescope
and not
in the EP!
2. The Sun, for purposes of focus, is at infinity just as much as is the
most
distant quasar.
3. As another person suggested, use the shadow of your finder to align on
the
Sun. And cover the objective of the finder also, the heat might crack or
deform the finder's EP.

Clear, Dark, Steady Skies!
(And considerate neighbors!!!)

"Doink" wrote in message
...
Thanks! Yes, The filter is over the objective and it's a good one. I

wasn't sure how dark things would be but they are REALLY dark. So, I

couldn't hit the sun....I didn't think about moon/size ratio to sun.
That's

excellent. I will go with the wide eyepiece for starters...maybe the 32mm

2" wide angle...

Thank you.

Doink!
If you can, focus on the Moon the night before, and leave the focus
'untouched'. It will not (quite) be perfect, but it will be very close
(there will be a slight change from the filter, and from the temperature
shift).

Best Wishes

"Wfoley2" wrote in message
...
1. I sure hope your solar filter fits over the FRONT of your telescope
and not
in the EP!
2. The Sun, for purposes of focus, is at infinity just as much as is
the
most
distant quasar.
3. As another person suggested, use the shadow of your finder to align
on
the
Sun. And cover the objective of the finder also, the heat might crack
or
deform the finder's EP.

Clear, Dark, Steady Skies!
(And considerate neighbors!!!)

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 09:48:58 -0700, "Doink"
wrote:

Greetings group....the rookie has another question.

I bought a solar filter (glass) for my 127mm refractor and wanted to try it
out yesterday. Can you believe this? I couldn't find the SUN!!!!
Seriously. I need some advice so I have some idea about what I'm looking
for.

Scope is FL 1000 I was using an 18mm Radian. Not sure where to find
focus on an object that close and I'm not sure how much of the sun will fill
the eyepiece. In other words, I may have been there but way out of focus.
How bright will it be? Do you use a shroud over your head to reduce outside
light? Was I using too much eyepiece? I also have 2" 40mm (scope is
f/8.3) and 1.25" 35mm Ultima.

I'd like to try again today. What should I use and what should I
anticipate?

Thanks for the help!

Chris


Hi Chris-

Cap any refractive finder you may have mounted- you'll likely burn
through the reticle and any errant eye could suffer damage as well.
Hold the filter up to the Sun and look through it carefully to check
for pinholes- if you see many bright small points in the filter or
heaven forbid a large one don't use the filter. If it looks OK
unmounted then make sure the filter is *securely* mounted over your
telescope's objective.

Begin by minimizing the shadow cast on the ground. Then look in your
star diagonal without an eyepiece inserted. You'll see some light and
move the 'scope to center the Sun in the diagonal. This is always a
good idea- if it looks too bright without an eyepiece double-check to
ensure that your filter is properly installed and is free of defects.
Hold your hand over the diagonal- if you feel any heat don't look
through it.

Assuming everything checks out you should be pretty well centered on
the Sun. Drop in either eyepiece you mention, focus, and enjoy. AR 596
looks pretty nice!

Practice safe solar observing and take care not to leave the telescope
unattended.

Regards,
Bill Dean

Bill,

Thank you. VERY good tips. I didn't feel so bad after reading them. I
assumed the sun would be so easy to find! Not in total BLACK!!!! I found
M1 on my own and couldn't find the sun????

After using your technique, I was able to enjoy a very nice solar
session....Thanks!

Is it possible to see corona activity? Seeing was about a 7 of 10 today. A
little very faint haze...I saw threee sun spots. A big one---inverted heart
shape and a close pair which were much smaller. And I could see what looked
like a "skin" texture on the surface. No "ejecta" or rice grain.

Do you ever use any eyepiece filters WITH a solar filter? I tried red and
it gave a very interesting view....

Doink
"Bill Dean" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 09:48:58 -0700, "Doink"
wrote:

Greetings group....the rookie has another question.

I bought a solar filter (glass) for my 127mm refractor and wanted to try
it
out yesterday. Can you believe this? I couldn't find the SUN!!!!
Seriously. I need some advice so I have some idea about what I'm looking
for.

Scope is FL 1000 I was using an 18mm Radian. Not sure where to find
focus on an object that close and I'm not sure how much of the sun will
fill
the eyepiece. In other words, I may have been there but way out of
focus.
How bright will it be? Do you use a shroud over your head to reduce
outside
light? Was I using too much eyepiece? I also have 2" 40mm (scope is
f/8.3) and 1.25" 35mm Ultima.

I'd like to try again today. What should I use and what should I
anticipate?

Thanks for the help!

Chris


Hi Chris-

Cap any refractive finder you may have mounted- you'll likely burn
through the reticle and any errant eye could suffer damage as well.
Hold the filter up to the Sun and look through it carefully to check
for pinholes- if you see many bright small points in the filter or
heaven forbid a large one don't use the filter. If it looks OK
unmounted then make sure the filter is *securely* mounted over your
telescope's objective.

Begin by minimizing the shadow cast on the ground. Then look in your
star diagonal without an eyepiece inserted. You'll see some light and
move the 'scope to center the Sun in the diagonal. This is always a
good idea- if it looks too bright without an eyepiece double-check to
ensure that your filter is properly installed and is free of defects.
Hold your hand over the diagonal- if you feel any heat don't look
through it.

Assuming everything checks out you should be pretty well centered on
the Sun. Drop in either eyepiece you mention, focus, and enjoy. AR 596
looks pretty nice!

Practice safe solar observing and take care not to leave the telescope
unattended.

Regards,
Bill Dean