ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

Try these ready-made devices for instant solar success

Glass white light filter

Unlike the white light filters mentioned above, these are commercially made glass filters in a cell, which are sturdier and less prone to damage. They reduce the intensity of the light in the same way and fit over the front of a telescope. Some use the same principle as the solar screen sheets and look silver to the eye, giving a blue tinge to the view. Another variant is the silverblack polymer filter, which gives a yellow-orange tint to the solar disc but still reduces the intensity of the light to a fraction of a per cent. www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/astronomysolar-observing/white-light-filters

Sunoculars

A recent introduction, the Lunt 8x32 WhiteLight Sunoculars are binoculars specifically adapted for safe solar observation. They come with a highly polished integrated solar filter that cannot be removed, so can only be used for solar viewing. They offer low (8x) magnification views of sunspots and limb darkening, and are ideal for a ‘grab and go’ look at the solar disc to check whether it’s worth getting your solar telescope out. Don’t expect high-resolution views. www.telescopehouse.com/solar-observing/ lunt-mini-white-light-eclipse-sunoculars.html

herschel wedge

The Herschel Wedge is an optical prism that used in place of a star diagonal. It can only be used on refractors up to around 6 inches in aperture, and gives better contrast and detail compared to solar screen filters. The prism is designed to reflect 4.5-5 per cent of incoming light while refracting the rest, including ultraviolet and infrared, through the prism and out the back of the housing. A neutral density filter should be used in conjunction to further dim the remaining light before it enters the eyepiece. www.365astronomy.com/Herschel-Prismsand-Solar-Filters