Solar Observation in H-alpha Light

H-alpha light is given off by excited hydrogn atoms in the Sun's atmosphere and by isolating it and blocking out all other light from the Sun we can see features that are normally hidden.

For example, flares and prominences that are visible during a total eclipse can be seen any day that the Sun is shining in a clear sky. Surface features such as flares travelling towards us can be seen together with white-light phenomena such as sunspots.

Until recent years this kind of view of the Sun was only available to research institutes using extremely expensive equipment. But pioneers such as Coronado have made the technology available to the amateur market.

At the heart of an H-alpha telescope is a Fabry-Perot etalon, a finely-tuned filter with an extremely narrow bandwidth. Used in conjuction with an energy rejection filter and an order sorter this enables us to isolate the H-alpha light safely.

The best H-alpha telescopes have etalons that are the same size as the telescope aperture and you should choose one of these if you want the best performance.

But etalons are expensive so Coronado have developed the Personal Solar Telescope (PST) that uses a smaller etalon to provide fascinating views at a fraction of the cost.

Solarmax 40 Htdrogen-Alpha Telescope Ref: CO-SM10

CORONADO

The Solarmax 40 uses a full-aperture etalon to give better images across the field of view than a PST, despite having the same size aperture. Whether you want to use it for visual use or imaging you will find it performs at a different level.

Its bandwidth is 0.7 Angstroms and it is fitted with a T-Max to adjust for Doppler shift. The larger BF10 blocking filter makes the Solarmax more effective for imaging and allows binoviewers to be used without vignetting.

Supplied complete with hard carry case, mounting ring and Cemax eyepiece. Can accept an additional etalon in double-stack mode to reduce the bandwidth to 0.5 Angstroms.

Price: £1,612.30 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

Personal Solar Telescope Ref: COR-PST

CORONADO

The Personal Solar Telescope (PST) is a unique telescope that allows you to see solar flares on any day when the Sun is shining. Not only that, it reveals a wealth of surface features that can have a direct effect on life on Earth.

Easy to set up and use, it uses state-of-the-art filter technology to show the Sun in hydrogen-alpha light. Its passband is less than one angstrom which is the key to cutting out most of the solar glare and allowing the solar flares to be seen.

Easy to set up and use, the PST will show you the Sun in a completely new light, any day that it is shining. You no longer have to wait for a total solar eclipse to see flares and prominences.

Price: £509.84 (Including VAT at 17.5%)

Hard Case

No Case (+£0.00)

Custom Hard Case (+£50.00)

Related products:

1. Vixen Porta Mount II (Ref: OP-79951)

2. A4 Sheet of AstroSolar Film (Ref: DH-2459281)

Coronado Double Stack Filter + TMax For PST Ref: COR-PSM40

CORONADO

The SolarMax 40 filter with tuner attaches to your PST producing a half-Angstrom bandwidth to show enhanced surface detail. Simply screws to the front cell of your PST. The filter is supplied with a T Max tuner allowing you to adjust for doppler shift to finely tune the detail visible on the Solar disk.

Price: £845.00 (Including VAT at 17.5%)