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| The current Solar Observatory at HSO is in full operation with two sun telescopes that share a common solar filter. However, the new upgrade sun telescope is ordered and on the way. The solar disk, seen above, typically has these spectacular features that often go unseen without the right equipment, processing and applications. The upgrade to the solar observatory will include a compliment battery (sum total) of four solar telescopes each with their own respective resources and capabilities. Apertures include 2-inches in Maksutov design, two 4.5-inch RFT Newtonian reflectors for coronal work, a six inch Schmidt-Cassegrain for the highest resolution closeups, and a 3.25-inch refractor being groomed for solar work. |
Sun Telescope
The new latest and greatest telescope is on the way - the observatory is a busy place - the order was placed today, Monday May 9, 2022, for a complete solar telescope with a special sun filter. The telescope order with accessories will be delivered on May 11 or May 12 directly to the door, COD and after a cool-down process, assembly with installation will begin. I'm fully prepared to receive it and have placed the cash into a separate transfer plastic bag, awaiting the big moment! The transfer will happen with some extreme degree of pre-arranged protective incognito as safety isolation against the Covid virus.
The telescope is quite spectacular having an ultra high precision Maksutov-Cassegrain Catadioptric design. The short tube length and light weight make it extremely easy to mount. In this case, the telescope will have two dedicated mounts for solar work and also will go alongside another telescope with goto software. This mount is rock solid and very steady, and will include a solar rate sidereal digital drive for imaging sunspots in high resolution. Experiments to find solar flares are anticipated using the primary solar filter and additional Hydrogen-Alpha filters. The sun will be studied in various spectroscopic wavelengths each showing different solar features and compositions.
Specifications: 60mm primary lens coated aperture, OTA tube length 8-inches, OTA weight 1 lb, folded high resolution Maksutov Catadioptric design, features added include ampable to 20-inches and 200-inches. Solar capabilities will include TRANSDIGILOG - Transitional Digital & Analog processing, AMPING - Amplification of Telescope Diameter, and TRANSIS - Transitioning Art in Science. The solar telescope includes a primary solar filter and a built in safety sun finder with safety frosted viewing screen. For safety reasons, the OTA comes with no optical finderscope. The composition of the solar filter is said to include constituent highest quality Baader components with a custom size molded to the shape of the telescope. The observatory assembled system will include a comprehensive kit of vast ranging spectroscopic filters for varying recordable solar wavelengths, eyepieces for full frontal solar disk viewing and highly magnified enlargements for close up views, several camera mounts, multiple cameras including two HD cell phones, one with Live View, and one CMOS astro imaging camera. Additionally assembled for the solar observatory are various power processing computers, PC & Apple, including at least one supercomputer and a minicomputer. Specialized solar software for processing the sun's features will be included in the monitoring and analyzing/processing setup.
Stay tuned for the creation of the Solar Atlas - a systematic compendium of solar images showing the changing face of the Sun. The Sun Atlas will be electronic in PDF format and transferred and distributed via the world wide web. We are opening up a solar section to the Astro Imaging website to report on the changing face of the sun and provide a measure of safety and prediction forecast for the protection of anyone within the sun's path.
