DIY Solar Filter on a telescope - Great for Solar Eclipses!
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- Опубликовано: 24 июн 2023
- Solar Filter on Amazon: amzn.to/41OgXSw
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Would you like to use your telescope to look at a solar eclipse, or just look at the spots on the sun? You could buy a special telescope made for looking at our nearest star, or you could spend a few dollars and about 5 minutes and make your own filter for your current telescope!
Here's our telescope, in case you're curious: amzn.to/3NUWqpB
It's a Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ
Want to get pictures like those in the thumbnail? Hook up your DSLR using the techniques in this other video of mine: ruclips.net/video/8z-fnqmHWGI/видео.html
I have the solar filter having density of 5.0 is it ok to see the sun with it??
I have the solar filter having density of 5.0 is it ok to see the sun with it??
You just made my day. I just ordered it for my Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ and will arrive tomorrow, one day before the eclipse. Thanks so much!
We're down to the wire, good luck!
Thanks Useful. Will be making one for 2023/10/14 Eclipse
Awesome, happy to help!
x2
Thx for the video. I’m trying it tomorrow.
Awesome! Good luck, and be careful!
Thank You bro.
No problem, hope you get to enjoy the eclipse coming up!
Great vid man
Thanks!
Great video! Is there any significant "image quality" loss in regards to just using a solar filter over the off axis hole on the cover vs using one that covers the entire aperture? I have an 8" Dob and don't want to go overboard with a full aperture filter if just using the off axis hole will do... Thanks!
I haven't noticed any significant degradation when using the smaller aperture when viewing the moon, it mostly just dims it. You might try that and see what you think.
You don’t need a filter if you just watch the sun at night.
Very true! The earth blocks most of the harmful rays at night!
🤔
genius
The Sun is Bright even at Night ? =) Oh yeah it is beyond the horizon. Well it is night time somewhere. Awesome video! Thanks for the link! 10/14/23 and 4/8/24. Fantastic year for Solar eclipse. I hope I can see you later =)
Haha, thanks! Yes, a couple great eclipses coming up, especially for those of us in Texas!
Hi! Do I need to attach any of the solar filter stuff to a camera lense too if I attach said camera to the telescopes eyepiece? great video, I plan to look at the eclipse this october. thanks!
Nope, the one at the end of the telescope should be fine! That's how I got the images I show in the video. Good luck, it's only a few days away!
Is it necessary to adjust the primary mirror during solar observation as shown in the video?
Nope, it should be fine. Just make sure it's collimated before you start your viewing.
I don't have a cover with the small holes. Can I just use the sheet over the entire diameter of my scope (7inch Orion Skyquest)?
Absolutely! You could also use a box or sheet of cardboard with a 2-3" hole in it so you don't need as big of a sheet.
I have created my filter and looks great through the aligning scope but can not get crisp focus in viewfinder. Any suggestions?
I'm a little unclear of the ask. Do you mean the viewfinder on a camera you have attached, or the optic that you're looking through? I'm not sure what you mean by "aligning scope" either, do you mean the little spotting scope that you use to get the telescope roughly lined up, or maybe a alignment eyepiece for focusing your telescope?
Which eyepiece did you use?
I usually use the 25mm because the 10mm is really narrow and I can't see the whole sun at once.
Does it matter if telescope primary mirror 650mm ?
I can't think of any issue with it. Just make sure your filter is large enough to cover the open end of your telescope!
I'm currently trying to do this with two small filters from one of those cardboard glasses they sell. In your opinion, would this be sufficiently safe as long as I overlap the two pieces? The entire hole is covered from the outside. They overlap so you cannot see anything while looking straight on, but it's not "airtight" as if it was one sheet of filter. I assume light isn't going to come in from 85 degrees sideways, but I would like to hear your thoughts before I attempt anything
If it was me, I would just use one side of the glasses and place the filter in the middle of the hole, with the remainder covered by cardboard. Imagine a piece of cardboard with a hole in it, then tape the glasses to cover that hole, with the filter being the only thing allowing light through. The shape of the hole shouldn't make much difference for casual viewing. Please be careful!
@@LukeofAllTrades. Thank you for the advice!
Would a photo camera lense solar filter work?
Yes, as long as it's over the end of the telescope, and you don't just put it over the eyepiece. I think the sun light would be too focused and burn through the filter if it was just over the eyepiece.
Should you cut bigger peice to cover whole lens
That's definitely an option. I just thought it was easier to tape a small piece to the inside of the cover. And the smaller piece is a little cheaper. ;)
i made a different one for my camera, why is it blurry and not focusing? i also tried manually focusing my camera and its still blurry
You may need to align your telescope, I have another video on that: ruclips.net/video/-Y5WCO4afYo/видео.html
If it's aligned and you can see things very sharply with your eye, it may the combination of eyepieces that you have between your camera and the OTA. Perhaps you need a barlow lens, or maybe try removing the barlow if your adapter has one.
I did two layers of foil instead of one, will that also work?
What kind of foil? Aluminum foil is not safe to use, and two layers of the solar filter is probably going to block all the light.
Exactly the video I was looking for, thanks! You gonna be in the totality?
Hey, I have the same diameter telescope, so I have the same cover with the smaller hole. I also have the same 6" filter from Amazon. I have concerns that if I tape it to the inside of the cover like you did, it may heat up in the sun and loosen the adhesive, letting the filter fall into the scope tube and causing damage (especially if I'm looking through it). I plan on making a cap that goes over the top of the cover, just like the small cap does. I think this is safer, what are your thoughts?
That's an interesting concern, but I think it will be cool enough outside, and I'm using some strong gaffers tape, so I'm not personally worried. Unfortunately I won't be in totality for this one, but I should be able to be in it for next April. I think your idea is worth trying though, and definitely reduces the risk. Stay safe!
@@LukeofAllTrades. Same here, I'm east coast and I'm using this eclipse as a practice run for the 2024 one.
Anyways, I learned I can overnight high grade gaffer tape via amazon, and after doing some research I see that it's a much safer tape to use than the scotch / duct / painters tape I had available previously. I'm going to try it out in the same way you built yours, but probably with a lot more lol. I like my retinas. Thanks for the idea!
I will likely 3d print a proper cap in the future, let me know if you want the files for my design or if I could even mail you one since our covers look the same, you would just need the solar film. Also, happy viewing in 2024, may you have good weather. I plan to bring a white bedsheet to lay on the ground and try to observe / record the shadow snakes during the eclipse. Should be fun!
@@samcecere9924 That sounds like a great idea, a cover is much easier to remove and store when you don't need it too. I'd be happy to take a 3D printed cap if it works as well as you hope. I agree it's great we're getting two eclipses so close together, it makes it easier to test ideas during the first one, and then have everything worked out by the second one. Good luck!
@@LukeofAllTrades. The cap worked great! It held the solar filter perfectly in place with no fears from me about it possible coming loose. It's safely taped together and I can still easily remove it for night viewing, or for totality in 2024. I got a great view of the clouds! Yeah sadly most of the North East US couldn't see this eclipse at all. Waiting for a sunny day to look at some sun spots though! I can send STL files to you if I know your email
@@samcecere9924 That's great! Maybe you could post it up on thingiverse and share it that way.
Can you use it for a refractor and can i use it without the cover for the telescope because my telescope does not have it .
Absolutely! You'll probably just need a bigger sheet of filter material to cover it, but it should work just fine!
@@LukeofAllTrades. Thanks !.
Selam Luke! Bu video için teşekkürler. Çok iyi bir çalışma olmuş. Ancak göz merceği yerine bir film yapıştırmadınız. 1-Büyük tüpün önünde ki filtre yeterli olacak mı. 2-Ayrıca göz merceğinin olduğu yere 1.25" bir solar filtre taksak yine görüntü alabilirmiyim. 🙏🙏🙏
(Google'dan çevrilmiştir) Yalnızca tek bir yerde filtreye ihtiyacınız var ve bunun da teleskobun ön tarafında olması gerekiyor. Eğer onu yalnızca göz merceğinin üzerine koyarsanız, güneş ışığı fazla odaklanacak ve muhtemelen filtreyi yakacaktır.
Okay I'm new to telescopes but wouldn't The hole being so small in that cover obstruct some of your view?
Nope, but it does reduce the amount of light you see. For the sun, plenty of light gets through, so it's fine. You shouldn't use the cover when looking at other stars, but for the sun and moon it's actually helpful to reduce the amount of light coming in.
@@LukeofAllTrades. Interesting. I'm making my own filter out of film and cardboard and was planning to make it the exact size of my lens. Should I not do that and instead make it just a small hole? My brain wants to assume that would take up some of the field of view. 🤣
@@TubeYou7 That will certainly work, but a smaller hole will be fine for looking at the sun. It puts out a lot of light, so cutting that down with a smaller hole won't hurt the amount of light you collect.
Is it good for flextube telescope?
It should be! You just have to have a big enough piece of filter, and find a way to cover the end of the telescope with it.
@@LukeofAllTrades. light shield?
@@kacperrapa I'm not sure what you're asking, but yes, anything that blocks a majority of the light. The filter mentioned in the video will work if placed at the end of the telescope.
My main concern would be the glue on the tape giving away due to heat whilst looking through the eyepiece.
That's fair, I used a lot of good quality tape, and checked it after 30 minutes and it was fine. I would just experiment with it, and leave the cover in a cool place until you're ready to view the sun.
Another option is to tape the filter over the outside so you can more closely monitor it.
Is the telescope in your video StarSense 114? Cuz I have one as well😂😂😂
It's actually a StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ, but pretty close!
I see
What's the point on putting some rough acrylic plate in front of a telescope? I mean, we spend lots of money to get nice pictures, no deformations... all ruined by some bad acrylic stuff :D
It's an easy way to attach the solar filter! I'd love to see a comparison of image quality with and without the plate, do you have a video showing that?
Yes, sorry, the aligning scope on the telescope.
if it doesn't focus through the viewfinder, you may need to align your mirrors. I have a video about how to do that here: ruclips.net/video/-Y5WCO4afYo/видео.html
How come we see the same sun spots always in the same place when the earth is supposedly rotating around the sun in the so-called solar system????
I haven't taken enough pictures to track their movement (or lack thereof), this seems like a good experiment to do!
@@LukeofAllTrades. well the reason I ask is that, I’m a flat earther, we believe in a totally different cosmos system. We believe that this earth is covered by a glass firmament and is stationary and the sun and moon are only 3000 miles away and are the same size, 30 miles in diameter and that they are not spheres. So it would be interesting, your test results.
@@jogmas12 Good luck in your journey, that's quite the theory to work with! I found someone else who imaged the sun with a different telescope, and they see different spots than I saw. ruclips.net/video/YLA3Z1kzVCs/видео.html