The Sun 27 May 2012

[MarkS]

Bought some Baader solar film (ND 3.8 for photographic but NOT visual use) and the Baader solar continuum filter. 

I had a play this afternoon, but only quick because we had visitors.

Image taken with ED80 (with a 0.8 WO flattener) and Canon 350D.  False yellow colour applied during processing (the original is very green!)

The sunspot group on the left (it's been given the identifier 1492) is one to watch - it has just come into view and is very active.

[Jim]

That's really nice Mark

[Fay]

Yes very good Mark. Must dust my filter off!

[mickw]

Very nice

No barlow ?

[MarkS]

No barlow ?

Had no time to try that.

Can anyone think of any reason not to try this with a C11? 
I did buy a large an extra large sheet of solar film 

Mark

[JohnP]

Go for it Mark - looks good to me.. John

[Tony G]

Very nice Mark, but make sure you put the solar film at the right end of the tube, and not like me, otherwise you end up with a hole in the centre.

Tony G

[RobertM]

It's so sharp I could shave with it 

[MarkS]

Very nice Mark, but make sure you put the solar film at the right end of the tube, and not like me, otherwise you end up with a hole in the centre.

I also have a very neat hole burnt through the eyepiece dustcap. 

I was observing with the visual solar film, put the eyepiece dustcap on and then switched the visual solar film for the photographic one in order to take images.  In the couple of seconds where there was no filter on the scope a cloud of acrid smoke appeared at the eyepiece. 

STUPID!!  STUPID!! STUPID!! 

I think the eyepiece is ruined.  At least it wasn't my eyeball or an expensive camera.  Lesson learnt is don't reconfigure equipment whilst pointing at the sun.

[RobertM]

Done that myself Mark !  The trouble is some eyepieces have plastic on the inside - not a good idea !