Science

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)

6. Yeah, that was my thought too...

Wed Feb 18, 2015, 07:54 PM

Feb 2015

The solar scope is about taking high speed/high resolution images of the Sun's surface in a wide band of wavelengths from IR to UV. There are a lot of questions about fast changing magnetic fields on the solar surface and observing their effects in real time is a primary mission for this reflector.

I have a 60mm f15 refractor set up as a dedicated solar viewer "Sun Gun" using eyepiece projection, I think they are using the large aperture more for angular resolution than needing that much light for the sensors. Probably some partially reflective surfaces there somewhere, amateurs sometimes make solar scopes with a largish Newtonian and don't aluminize the primary, it keeps the heat out of the system and allows a lot less filtering for eyepiece use.

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New planet-hunting tool chases after star system's little brown dwarf [View all] Judi Lynn Feb 2015 OP

Pedantic quibble, the VLT objectives are mirrors rather than lenses Fumesucker Feb 2015 #1

Yup! Lenses sag. Plus there's the chromatic aberration problem with passing light through glass. longship Feb 2015 #2

There's a four meter solar telescope going up on Hawaii.. Fumesucker Feb 2015 #3

Wow! Four meters for a SOLAR telescope? longship Feb 2015 #4

Yeah, that was my thought too... Fumesucker Feb 2015 #6

Well, if I wanted to view the sun, I would get a dedicated solar refractor. longship Feb 2015 #7

I'm more into taking pictures these days Fumesucker Feb 2015 #9

The US will launch the James Webb Space Telescope around 2018 cpwm17 Feb 2015 #5

My fingers are crossed on that mission. longship Feb 2015 #8

Thank you for the information, longship. n/t Judi Lynn Feb 2015 #10