The big moment inches ever closer. On the 21st of August, 2017 millions of people in the USA will witness a total solar eclipse. The event of the decade will soon be upon us! Do you have everything for the “Great American Eclipse”? Or are a couple things missing from your toolkit? Check out our list below of necessary and useful products.
1. The Most Important: Solar Eclipse Glasses
Experience the eclipse in the simplest of ways, with Omegon SunSafe Solar Eclipse Glasses. The glasses give you the ability to safely and comfortably look at the Sun.
• Orange, natural image of the Sun
• Optimal for solar observations, including viewing sunspots and eclipses
• Completely Safe: SunSafe material certified according to ISO guidelines
• One size fits all
• Harmful sun rays blocked by a factor of 100,000
• Optical density – at least ND5
Price: one set $2.90 (£ 2.90), 5 pack $9.90 (£ 8.90)
Omegon Solar Eclipse Glasses
Alternatively, Baader offers Solar Eclipse Glasses – Solar Viewer AstroSolar® Silver/Gold. The glasses provide 100% safety and the Sun will appear blue/white.
Price: $3.50 (£ 3.90), set $29.00 (£ 25.90)
See Baader Solar Eclipse Glasses
Warning: These glasses are to be exclusively used for visual observations. Do not use them in combination with an optical instrument.
2. Solar filter for Your Telescope
Frameless film filters
A classic for fans of solar observation is the Astrosolar Solar Filter film. Being somewhat of an art and craft situation, users can build their own filter frame. The advantage is the cheap price and variety of sizes available. Most buy the small 20cm x 29cm or the large 50cm x 100cm.
In the special case for astrophotographers, a photo film with the optical density of 3.8 affords the user the possibility of using short exposure times. Put simply, this filter allows only 0.016% of light through – perfectly fine for photography, but still too much for the naked eye. For visual observations, you should consider adding a ND 2.0 Filter or simply using a film made for visual purposes.
Warning: Always place the film in front of the optics and not behind.
Price: 20x29cm $ 25.00(£ 22.90), 50x100cm $ 75.00 (£ 67.00)
See Baader Astrosolar Solor Filter Film
Framed Filter for Telescopes
The manufacturer Baader has come up with an elegant solution for telescopes: the ASTF Sonnenfilter. This filter is suitable for telescopes from 70mm to 290mm diameter. Three centering pins affix the filter inside or outside of the tube. An overview, which filter best suites your telescope, is available here: Filter Finder Tool.
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 80mm Article-Nr.: 46632
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 100mm Article-Nr.: 46633
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 120mm Article-Nr.: 46634
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 140mm Article-Nr.: 46635
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 160mm Article-Nr.: 46636
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 180mm Article-Nr.: 46637
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 200mm Article-Nr.: 46638
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 240mm Article-Nr.: 46639
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 280mm Article-Nr.: 46640
Filter for Binoculars
By the way: These filters are great for camera lenses.
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 50mm Article-Nr.: 46641
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 60mm Article-Nr.: 46642
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 70mm Article-Nr.: 46665
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 80mm Article-Nr.: 46667
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 100mm Article-Nr.: 46668
3. Solar Prisms: The Better Choice?
Many have already heard. Aside from solar filters, solar prisms are also available. However, are they a true alternative? Most definitely – if your goal is detail solar observation – but only for refractors up to 150mm (no reflector telescopes)
In comparison to a lens filter, the Herschel Wedge offers a clear, contrast-rich image of the sun. Advanced solar observers swear on it. With a Herschel Wedge, you will see the finest details, whether a granulation or structures surrounding a sunspot.
Tip: While observing with a Herschel Wedge, a ND 3.0 and a variable gray filter are requisite.
APM 1.25″ solar prism / Herschel wedge Article-Nr.: 18916
Baader OD 3,0 ND Filter 1,25“ Article-Nr.: 10885
Omegon Variabler Gray filter 1,25″ Article-Nr.: 7399
Baader Cool-Ceramic Safety Herschel prism V visual, 2″ Article-Nr.: 16816
4. The Sun in H-Alpha Light
Images of a solar eclipse in H-Alpha are unusual and create a lot of attention. Photos of partial phases with protuberances and spots and flares are simply appealing to the eye. The Quark Solar Filter from Daystar transforms your refractor into a bonafide solar telescope that shows you the sun in H-Alpha light. Now would be the best opportunity to turn a dream into reality.
DayStar Solar Filter QUARK H-Alpha, Protuberance Article-Nr.: 44774
DayStar Solar Filter Combo QUARK H-Alpha, Chromosphere Article-Nr.: 48679
5. Small Scopes and Mounts for the Road
iOptron Mount SkyTracker Pro Article-Nr.: 51870
Skywatcher Mount Star Adventurer, Set Article-Nr.: 45119
Omegon Mount AZ-Baby Article-Nr.: 49753
Omegon Tripod ball-head Pro OM20 Article-Nr.: 33149
Omegon Pro carbon-fibre tripod Article Mount-Nr.: 33146
6. Books about the Sun
A clear-as-day and basic entry into the topic can be found in the book Your Guide to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, Springer Verlag.
PS: Be sure to get what you need for the solar eclipse today, to ensure that your trip is an unforgetable experience.