#PHOTOX SUN REFLEX HOW TO#
#PHOTOX SUN REFLEX REGISTRATION#

There are different filter systems to do this and it’s important to only use certified ones. The exception is that the intensity of the light from the Sun must be reduced. The techniques used to image the Sun are similar to those used to capture images of the Moon and planets. In need of a good camera? Browse all our camera reviews.

#PHOTOX SUN REFLEX REGISTRATION#

The best technique is to take lots of short-exposure images and stack them together using a registration and stacking program such as RegiStax. Cameras for photographing the SunĪ monochrome, cooled, astronomical CCD camera can work well with narrowband-filtered images. The width of this peak defines the quality of the etalon and dictates how good a view you’ll eventually get at the eyepiece or camera. The light that eventually passes out through the semi-silvered surface of the second plate contains bright wavelength peaks and dim wavelength troughs.Ī plot of wavelength vs intensity of this light looks a bit like an upside down comb, the peaks being represented by the tips of the comb’s teeth.īy passing the etalon’s output through a less precise ‘blocking’ filter, it’s possible to strip off all the unwanted ‘comb teeth’ and let just the one of interest through. The reflecting beams interfere with each other so that certain wavelengths reinforce while others cancel out – this is a physical process that’s known as constructive and deconstructive interference. As light enters the cavity through the first plate, it reflects back and forth between the semi-silvered surfaces. The two parallel facing surfaces are semi-silvered.

This creates an optical cavity by bringing two optically flat glass plates together, separated by a precise gap. Credit: Pete Lawrence How do solar telescopes work?Īt the heart of many hydrogen-alpha telescopes is an optical device known as a Fabry-Pérot etalon.

If you want to photograph the Sun there is a range of equipment available suited to the task. While the Sun’s apparent motion across the sky isn’t quite the same as the stars, it is close enough not to have to worry while carrying out a typical imaging session and a standard RA drive will do a perfectly adequate job.Īs with any other type of imaging, a heavy-duty stable mount is highly recommended to help avoid unwanted wobbles. Solar imaging at low magnification can be done on a fixed mount, such as a tripod, but a driven, polar-aligned, equatorial mount will make life much easier. Solar telescopes come in two varieties: ones that are dedicated for the purpose and ones that have been temporarily adapted for safe solar viewing. The dangers involved with pointing a telescope at the Sun means that only proper certified equipment should be used. When taking images of the Sun it’s important to use the right tools for the job. Limb motion and resolution are better than 1 arcsecond. The Sun’s image looks like an engraving, extremely sharp and steady. Limb motion and resolution are in the 1-2 arcsecond range.ĥ: Excellent. Solar granulation visible for most of the time.

Sun is sharp for more time than it is fuzzy. Limb motion and resolution are in the 3-arcsecond range.Ĥ. Solar granulation is visible for short periods. Limb motion and resolution are in the 5-10 arcsecond range.ģ: Half the time the Sun appears fuzzy, half the time sharp. Limb motion and resolution greater than 10 arcseconds.Ģ: Sun appears fuzzy and out of focus. The Mount Wilson Solar Seeing Scale is a good five-point scale to use and goes as follows:ġ: Poor - Sun looks like a circular saw blade.

#PHOTOX SUN REFLEX HOW TO#

Mid to late-morning is ideal because it’s often a time before the Sun’s heat has had a chance to take full effect.įor more info on this, read our guide on how to predict the weather for astronomy and stargazing.Ĭonditions can also be quantified by estimating solar seeing. Equipment: Sky-watcher ST80, HEQ5, Quark Chromosphere, Point Grey Blackfly

Photox sun reflex