Build a Solar Filter for Your Telescope

Source: Michael Portuesi, SidewalkAstronomers.org


Step-by-step instructions for building a filter for daytime Sun viewing with your Dobsonian telescope.

You can build a solar filter for a large aperture scope for less than $40, including the solar filter film. This is a great project to build with your kids, or perhaps as part of a classroom activity.
I describe how I built a solar filter for my 10" F/7 Dobsonian scope, but you can easily adapt these instructions for other scopes.

For daytime use, we build an off-axis filter smaller than the scope's full aperture. For convenience sake, an off-axis mask on a large Newtonian is easy to make, takes less material and the off-axis size is often more than enough given the daytime seeing.

Submitted by: Ed (ookiimamoru )

View All Instructions from SidewalkAstronomer.org