Customer Reviews

Observing the Sun with Coronado(TM) Telescopes (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are interested in observing the sun other than in white light, ie, hydrogen alpha or CaK, I would recommend this book as a reference. Hydrogen alpha observing allows you to see more of the sun than sunspots. Prominences, solar flares and much more. The hydrogen alpha telescopes and filters block out all the wavelengths of light except the one emitted by the alpha emission line from the hydrogen spectrum. In addition to the etalon (part that filters wavelength), there is also a blocking filter to block dangerous ultraviolet and infrared light.

This book deals mostly with the Coronado PST (Personal Solar Telescope). However it also discusses other larger aperture Coronado solar telescopes plus filters that can be used with a regular "nighttime" telescope. There is a wealth of information about solar viewing and many nice photos. A few other brands of solar telescope and filters are also discussed. There is a lot of information about ways of observing the sun, how the sun "works", what you are seeing. The book also has a chapter on imaging the sun.

The book was published before Lunt Solar Systems was founded so there is no information on their solar equipment.

Recommended as a good reference for solar observing and imaging.

I just purchased a "double-stacked" MaxScope 40 and was looking for tips on how to tune it and the interaction between the two filters, but I couldn't find that type of practical information in the book. The book does have a page on double-stacking, but says nothing about which filter to tune first and what to look for when tuning the filter. Also, since chapters are written by different people, it seems that the same information is repeated several times throughout the book, especially in the accessories section for each. Additionally, as was pointed out in another review, a new manufacturer named Lunt is directly competing with Coronado. Until this book may be revised to include that new line of scopes, it really isn't a complete guide to what you can get. So, I recommend this book as a reference, but was a bit disappointed by the lack of certain types practical information in using the scope.

For those looking to get into, or already into, solar observing or imaging, this book is a must. The contributors are extremely knowledgeable and it's written in a way even a neophyte observer like myself was able to understand and gain valuable information. A great addition to any library! Stephen Ames

Since this it the only book of its type I know of, it's hard to make comparisons. I wish there had been more on the entry level Coronado solar scope, but the information and photographs were of interest nevertheless. Certainly worth reading (and viewing) for the information it contains. Since the sun is the only star we can view up close, it's an interesting area of observation. Being able to go beyond viewing sunspots through the usual sun filter is a definite plus. However, seeing flares and other solar details takes patience and practice and when the sun is relatively quiescent they're not always obvious! This book does encourage working at it.

I loved that this was a brand new book, but it got here a week late, which was quite disappointing. By the time I got it, I didn't even need the book anymore.