Sun Index

It is not my intention to make this a regular solar observing page; for regular observations please visit the webpage of the Belgian VVS Solar Observers Section at Franky Dubois' Sun Page - http://www.digilife.be/club/franky.dubois/

Techniques.

You don't need a big telescope for solar imaging, most of the time the seeing is worse than what a big telescope can show. So you're fine with an instrument of 60 to 125 mm aperture. I now use TEC140 mm f/7 and Lunt 80 mm H-alfa refractors which is ample aperture for my seeing conditions.

Most important for solar imaging is an adequate filter system. You can use a Herschell wedge in combination with neutral density filters, but be careful: there is still a lot of heat entering the telescope! A Herschell wedge seems the best solution for high resolution imaging, allowing short exposure times. Second best for photography is the Baader Astro Solar filter, photographic version (density 3.5)

The safest for visual use is an objective filter, the cheapest and easiest and best solution at this time is the Baader AstroSolar filter, density 5.