Solar finder 4 safely aligning ANY telescope to point to the Sun

Description

Solar finder for safely aligning ANY telescope to point to the Sun
if you want this for the Transit of  Mercury
I'll accept orders for the next ... how long ?...
or you can build one
instructions below
.
Note: if you want this for the Transit of Venus
.. in 2117
I'll accept orders for the next one hundred and five years... (or until the ad is gone)
A major cosmic event that won't happen again for more than a hundred years is just .....
OOOPS... PAST IT
well there
is
next time!!!
or
see Sun spots
or
the transit of Mercury Nov 11 '19
OOOPS... PAST IT
too
or
Use for the next total solar eclipse   in 2024
(one happy buyer said"
The solar finder and solar funnell performed spectacularly yesterday at the solar eclipse. They were a major hit at my viewing site. Thanks again.  Aug 21 2017
The  Transit of Venus.
(see below for a report of our event)
On June 5th 2012  Venus  traveled in front of the sun showing up as a perfect black circle in the upper right part of the Sun. The last time this happened was 2004 and before that was a 121 years ago, and it won't happen again for 105 years.
See pic 1
(just the Solar Finder not the scope)
Build your own...  Solar Finder
A very simple and CHEAP solar finder for aligning ANY telescope
to
point at the Sun .
(
see warning below
)
this goes without saying but I'm going to anyway
...
=============================
Warning: DO NOT look directly into or near the Sun.
It can result in irreversible eye damage
.
Do not use any telescope or other device that is not
specifically designed for solar observing.
Looking  directly at the Sun or viewing it through
an unfiltered
instrument can result in
permanent
eye damage
and
loss
of vision.
=============================
Another way of saying it is...
never look directly at the Sun with your
REMAINING GOOD eye...
=============================
now on to the
Solar Finder
Start with a sturdy 2" (the size is not critical 1" to 3") mailing tube about 18" long (this will make 2
finders.. it can be shorter... (one for a friend) -  1 sheet of copy paper cut into a 3" strip,  a 3"
strip of tin foil, some white glue, a needle or straight pin.
With a  metal blade hacksaw (or your choice of power tool that you can use
safely) cut  the tube in half at a 45 degree angle (this should be close but
it is not  critical) the cut should be smooth (not jagged or bumpy).
Next take each  tube and cut 1/2" off of the flat (not angled) end.
You now have a  1/2"  ring and an aprox. 8.5" tube with a 45 degree angle on
one end for each  solar finder you are making.
Take the 1/2" ring and cut , top to bottom,  so you now have a "split ring".
Now cut about 1/2" off of the  circumference of the  'split ring'.
You now have a split ring with a 1/2" gap in it.
Pick up the long tube  and see that the angled cut is smooth and flat, if
it is... apply a bead of glue  on the edge of the angled cut all the way
around (not so much that it will drip).
Now cut the 3" strip of copy paper in half, and lay one piece on a flat  surface.
Take the tube with the glue applied and carefully center and place  it on
top of the paper strip (glue side down).  At this point you should be  able
to pick up the tube and turn it over and stand it up on the flat side to  dry.
After the glue is dry...  trim the excess paper from around the  angled
part of the tube and go on to the next step.    Cut the  foil into a square,
place the square of foil over the flat side of the  tube. Take the split ring
and squeeze it to form a closed ring, While the ring  is in this form and
with the square of foil over the flat side of the tube...  carefully press
the (closed) split ring against the foil on the flat end of the  tube and
push the ring in, taking the foil with it. Press the split ring until  it is
flush with the edge of the 8.5" tube. At this point the foil will be
trapped between the split ring and the main tube. Carefully trim the excess foil
from the top edge.  This area is not glued for ease of replacing the foil
if ever required.
The only thing left to do is take the needle and
CAREFULLY
poke a hole in
the center of the foil... just the size of the needle.  Push the needle in
half way then with as much care pull it back out.
It  is finished (well almost) On a sunny day take the solar finder outside
and look  for its' shadow on the ground. Turn the tube so the shadow on the
ground is  minimum (round). The foil end should be pointed up towards the
Sun and the  angled, paper covered end, should be in a position that you can
easily see it.  You  will see a small white dot on the paper. When the dot is
in the  center... the solar finder (AND TELESCOPE) is pointed at the Sun.
See pic 2
Last step...   With 1 or 2 bungee cords or elastic bands strap the solar
finder to your  telescope. (I have strapped this finder to a Kmart scope and a
homemade 5"  Newtonian as well as a Meade LS 6").  The size of the bands is
the limiting  factor.  On a sunny day and with your telescope set up for solar
viewing,  (solar filters in place, star finder scopes covered or removed )
aim  the telescope towards the Sun and look for the minimum shadow on the
ground.  Fine adjust the scope while watching the white dot on the solar
finder move to  the center. Now
if
the telescope is ready to look at the Sun
SAFELY, do so, and  center the Sun in the view, Now quickly look at the solar finder...
If the white  dot is at the center of the view screen... use a felt tip pen  draw a circle around  the dot....
(if not you can adjust the solar finder to center the white dot.
Insure the solar finder is firmly mounted, then go to the prior step ).
If you see the white dot
anywhere
on the screen of the solar finder,
you are aligned within +/- 5 deg. from center.
Simply center the white dot in your drawn circle and the Sun will be in your telescope view.
You are done... congratulations  TOTAL COST {{detail_product_description}}.00
+ cost of the  glue, foil, bands, and tube
(admit it...  you had these
laying around  So {{detail_product_description}}.00).
See pic 8
(If you want instructions on how to build a solar funnel as shown here see bottom of page)
New addition.
..
Add a pushpin in the top edge at the foil end of your solar finder to assist in the rough alignment. The push pin will cast a shadow along the tube. When the shadow meets the top of the screen... the white dot from the sun will be visible, and then you can center as described above. To add the pin twist the pin so as to drill the hole so that you will not crush the end of the solar finder. (CAUTION... the pointy end of the pin will be exposed on the inside of the tube, it is sharp)
or if you wish to
buy one  (It may be another size, 1" to 2.5" (they all work the same) a 1"solar finder,  will fit in place of the telescopes night time finder)
see
'Buy it now '
at the top of this page (ask for the size you want) (solar funnels wt 15mm eyepiece ava. for or ready for your eyepiece =S&H   ask about it)
2393 6-3-14 921 12-11-12 = 545 6-22-12  = 230 3-6-12 = 266 3-17-12 end | new 3-17-12
Thanks for reading these instructions...
if you build one, could you please send me a message ... and let me know how you like it.
Question & Answer
Answered On
Q:
Very clever. Thanks for sharing! I've just been using my usual finder & holding a card behind it, then moving the scope until the sun's image centers & focuses on the card. The maker of the telescope's solar filter, however, recommends covering the finder unless it, too, has a filter. I wonder if I might somehow damage the finder by continuing my method...any thoughts?
Mar-15-12
A:
thanks for your kind words and question There is a common concern about the heat damage to the optics by using the projection method of solar observing, however, the focal plane of most telescopes is in front of the eyepiece lenses by up to the mm size of the eyepiece (a 20mm eyepiece looks at an image about 20 mm from the glass of the lens) So the max heat is in air not a lens element. A recent test with the telescope shown in this ad. was done after about 20 min. of solar observing, using a Fluke IR imaging camera. (1/10th deg. resolution) showed NO greater heat in the eyepiece or diagonal, than any other part of the scope. I would recommend a solar funnel to project the spot onto, for safety and convenience. With a solar funnel in place there will never be a chance that anyone would attempt to try to view the Sun with a direct look through the un filtered spotter scope. (another thing you can do is turn the spotter scope around to point at the earth.)  Good luck and 'Keep lookin' UP'     (added 6-22-12)   P.S. If you are using a scope 4" or larger... block part of the light from the Sun with paper over the front of the telescope. Also use metal housed eyepiece s(no plastic parts)
SOLAR FUNNEL
the short version is
Get a transmission funnel from harbor freight for or other places about (these are about 4" dia and 18" long
and a .5 INCH PVC Coupler  SCHEDULE 40 and a 2" piece of
1.5" pvc sced.40 pipe. 6 - 8-32 self taping 1" screws,. a hot glue gun 1 sheet of velum (drafting paper) abt 6" square.
To build...
put the coupler over the end of the funnel till it stops, level it and use a black marker and draw a circle around the funnel where the coupler contacts it. (if the funnel is black make sure you can see the mark when the coupler is removed) Now remove the coupler from the funnel and use a hacksaw cut the funnel 1/4" above the line (towards the small end). place the coupler over the cutoff end of the funnel and hot glue it in place. (best to put a small amount of hot glue around in 3 places and let it cool then go back and put a good seam of hot glue all the way around the coupler.)
2 more steps
Cut the tab off of the top rim of the funnel and insure the rim sits flat or place the paper on the open end of the funnel and insure there are no gaps. If it does coat the edge of the wide end of the funnel with contact cement and while still wet place the funnel on the velum on a flat surface, and let dry (10 min)
Take the 2" piece of 1.5" pvc pipe and drill 3 holes 120 deg apart around the center of the pipe, the size is just smaller than the self tapping screws. (when the self tapping screws are screwed in they will make threads for the screws) Now drill another set of holes half way to the end of the pipe. just above the other holes. when the screws are in place, they will hold your 15mm or 20 mm 1.25" eyepiece firmly inside the 1.5" pipe.
When the glue is dry trim the velum close to the edge of the funnel and you are done.
the 1.5" pipe with the mounted eyepiece will friction fit into the 1.5" coupler that is hot glued to the funnel that has velum on the open end. place the eyepiece into your scope and using the solar finder (instructions on ebay (free) )... point your telescope to the sun and focus... and enjoy
tk;-)
ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY -
Folks across the world looked to the sky to see the
Transit of Venus
.
A group of amateur astronomers gathered in the parking lot of the Blair County Convention Center Tuesday to watch something pretty unique. It's called the "Transit of Venus". Venus actually crossed the sun.
Clouds almost spoiled it. But members of the Starlight Astronomy Club were patient and they were rewarded when the clouds parted and they got a clear view of the sun, and Venus crossing it.
They say it was a great opportunity for the club to show the public what astronomy is all about. They say it shows in a real way that we are only part of a very large thing. When we take a look at how very tiny we are compared to the solar system that we live in or the Milky Way that we're part of, it gives people perspective.
Tom Kasner is Club President. He spent most of his time helping others see something that won't happen again for a very long time. It will be another 105 years before Venus Crosses the sun again.
The Starlight Astronomy Club brought several telescopes out that were specially fitted to look at the sun. There were also several people looking through welder's glass.
One couple said you can't imagine how massive the sun is until you see a small shadow passing over it.
for more information visit the Starlight Astronomy Club and ask how to join
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