Large Sunspot Visible: See it Now for 3-4 Days - 13 Apr 2016

[Dotini]

Cool, that's an interesting shot.

Heh heh! Almost as if the sun were opening like a magnetic flower in greeting to its little relative, Mercury.

 

[1oldman2]

Heh heh! Almost as if the sun were opening like a magnetic flower in greeting to its little relative, Mercury.

True, I know its only a matter of perspective but it looks like that flare could engulf mercury.

 

[Andy Resnick]

And talking of Solar Filters. There are filters available on eBay that fit onto the small hole in the cover of my 200p. They also fit on the finder scope. Are they worth the bother? The resolution can only be around a tenth of the full mirror. (Or rather, ten times the angular resolution)

I would not mess around with kludging a solar filter. Since you are just starting out, at the so-cheap-it's-practically-free end of the spectrum, try a mylar blanket- the sort that comes in first aid kits- secure it to the barrel with an elastic band (or some Kapton tape). I tried a mylar balloon, but there was a very visible 'weave' type pattern so I was out $2.50 US. After that, I scrounged up a reflective ND 4 filter that I insert where the lens filters go, attaching it with some Kapton tape. The reflective filter comes first, before any polarizer/UV blocker/etc. Important- make sure it's a *reflective* filter, not an absorbing filter.

If you want to try spectral solar filters, they are incredibly expensive sub-angstrom width temperature-controlled etalons. I don't have those. I tried using a rescued 'narrowband' filter (+/-10nm) from an old microscope in conjunction with the ND 4, but the spectral width is still too broad.

As for the finder scope, I wouldn't bother if you are not using the finder- in fact, you may want to remove the finder for solar viewing just in case you happen to glance through it. It's not like you will have trouble finding the sun...

 

[davenn]

I would not mess around with kludging a solar filter. Since you are just starting out, at the so-cheap-it's-practically-free end of the spectrum, try a mylar blanket- the sort that comes in first aid kits- secure it to the barrel with an elastic band (or some Kapton tape).

yup, read my post #23

Dave