Astrophotography Blog: June 2013

Monday, June 17, 2013

Coronado SolarMax II 60 Telescope Sun Photo

Why didn't the sun go to college?
(Because it already had a thousand degrees!)

This was my first serious attempt at solar astrophotography using the Coronado SolarMax II 60 hydrogen-alpha solar telescope. Unlike regular telescopes that require external solar filters, this specialized instrument is designed specifically for safe observation of the Sun and reveals incredible surface details invisible in white-light viewing.

Solar observation was actually how I first started learning astronomy. My parents bought me a small telescope when I was in middle school, and I used it almost every day to record solar activity and Wolf numbers. Later, I compared my observations with data from other observers using different telescopes. Observing the Sun is much easier in a big city with light pollution because it can be done safely during daytime.

Many years later, I decided to invest in a dedicated solar telescope — the Coronado SolarMax II 60. It already includes an H-alpha filter system, allowing me to safely show solar activity to my kids without attaching external filters like those required for regular scopes such as the Celestron NexStar 4SE.

These images were captured with a NexImage planetary camera using approximately one minute of video (~600 frames). Stacking and sharpening were performed in RegiStax, followed by final color adjustments and Smart Sharpen in Photoshop (June 15, 2013).

Sun prominences through Coronado SolarMax II 60 telescope NexImage camera

Coronado SolarMax II 60 Sun Photo NexImage

H alpha Sun surface detail Coronado SolarMax II 60 active regions

Coronado SolarMax Photo

Solar filaments and plages Coronado SolarMax II 60 H alpha

Solar filaments and plages Coronado H-alpha image

Sunspots H alpha Coronado SolarMax II 60 telescope

Coronado SolarMax II 60 sunspots in H-alpha filter

In these photographs you can clearly see solar prominences, filaments, plages, and active regions near sunspots — all visible thanks to the hydrogen-alpha wavelength that highlights the Sun’s chromosphere.

Solar astrophotography is both educational and safe when using proper equipment. It allows observation of real-time solar dynamics, something that constantly changes from hour to hour.

Coronado SolarMax II 60 Telescope

This post shows my first view of the Coronado SolarMax II 60 — a dedicated hydrogen-alpha solar telescope designed exclusively for safe daytime observation of the Sun. Here I focus only on the telescope itself, mounting options, and initial setup. Actual solar images and results are shown in separate posts.

Unlike regular telescopes that require external solar filters, the Coronado SolarMax II 60 includes a built-in H-alpha filter system. This allows direct observation of the Sun’s chromosphere, revealing prominences, filaments, and active regions when paired with a stable mount and camera.

For solar observation, a good mount is critical. The Sun moves quickly across the sky, and accurate tracking makes observation and imaging much easier. For my initial setup, I used a simple piggy-back configuration on a Celestron NexStar 4SE mount. This allowed me to take advantage of the GoTo system for easy solar tracking.

Coronado SolarMax II 60

Below is the piggy-back configuration using a Celestron NexStar 4SE. This simple setup allowed me to quickly align and track the Sun using the GoTo mount. Later, this configuration was further modified and improved — those changes are described in follow-up posts.

Celestron 4SE and piggyback Coronado Solarmax 60

Front view of Coronado SolarMax II 60 solar telescope mounted piggy-back

Coronado Solarmax 60 piggy-back

Front aperture detail of Coronado SolarMax II 60 H-alpha telescope

Celestron 4SE, Solarmax 60

Side view of Coronado SolarMax II 60 solar telescope on piggy-back mount

Piggy-back Coronado 60 Celestron 4SE

Rear view of Coronado SolarMax II 60 telescope focuser and mounting hardware

Piggy-Back Mount for Celestron NexStar 4 (Item# BRKTPIG4)

This first setup proved that even a simple piggy-back mount can work well for solar observation. In later posts, I show the actual solar images captured with this setup, as well as further mount refinements.