Solar Telescopes, Filters, & Accessories

From eclipse glasses to solar telescopes, we carry everything you need to view & image the Sun!

Learn more about solar gear below, or head to our Solar Filter Guide to find the right size for your telescope, camera lens, or binoculars.

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Solar Filters

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H-Alpha Filters

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Solar Accessories

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Understanding Solar Filters & Solar Telescopes: Complete Guide

Astronomy is typically thought of as a nighttime activity, but solar astronomy during daytime can be one of the most rewarding parts of amateur astronomy! In this complete guide, we'll go over the differences between all of the various gear you can safely observe our home star: the Sun.

First, we have to start off with a safety tip: never point a telescope or look at the Sun without proper filtration. Serious eye damage or blindness will occur. The Sun's light is incredibly powerful, and optics like telescopes and binoculars only magnify that power. Continue reading to figure out which solar filter type is best for you and your budget.

 

Solar Eclipse Glasses for SaleImage courtesy of American Astronomical Society / Paul Deans

Solar Eclipse Glasses

Eclipse glasses and viewing cards are the perfect choice for anyone to safely observe the Sun during a solar eclipse! No experience is required to use these inexpensive glasses, and you can use them to safely look at the Sun at any time. Although the amount of detail is limited because they don't magnify the image, eclipse glasses are the least expensive option to observe the Sun at only a few dollars each.

 


 

White Light Solar FilterBackground Image credit: Brocken Inaglory under CC 4.0

Solar Filters

Looking for a solar filter for your telescope, camera lens, or binoculars? Head to our Guide to Choosing a Solar Filter on our Solar Filters page! In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about solar filters, plus a quick recommendation if you want an easy solution to safely view or image the Sun.

 


 

Hydrogen Alpha Solar TelescopesBackground Image credit: Deddy Dayag under CC 4.0

Hydrogen Alpha Solar Telescopes

If you're looking for the ultimate view or image of the Sun, many consider dedicated hydrogen alpha solar telescopes to be the holy grail of solar observing and imaging. Hydrogen alpha solar telescopes feature a special filter that allows the user to see or photograph solar activity like solar flares, prominences, filaments, and other details not visible with white light solar filters.

These filters typically produce a red view of the Sun and can give incredible views of solar activity. Since these telescopes are typically dedicated for daytime observing, they are many times more expensive than white light filters, but offer unforgettable views of our home star.

Hydrogen alpha (or Ha for short) telescopes can vastly vary in price depending on size, build quality, and how many filters — also called etalons — they include. A single stack Ha etalon provides great views of the Sun and are less expensive than double stacks. Double stacked Ha etalons offer higher-contrast views and images than single stacks, but usually come with double the price tag as a result. Some manufacturers like Lunt Solar also offer solar telescopes with a modular day and night capability, where the etalon(s) can be removed altogether for nighttime viewing.

Please note that hydrogen alpha solar filters are different than hydrogen alpha filters for nighttime astrophotography. Hydrogen alpha filters for nighttime astrophotography are neither effective nor safe to use for solar viewing as they let through a wider bandpass of hydrogen alpha.

 


 

White Light Solar Telescopes & BinocularsBackground Image credit: Giuseppe Donatiello under CC 1.0

White Light Solar Telescopes & Binoculars

Another inexpensive way to get quickly into solar astronomy is to use a white light solar telescope or binoculars. Both of these options offer a great, relatively inexpensive way to instantly get into solar astronomy without prior experience or equipment. White light solar telescopes typically come with a telescope with a solar filter installed, a mount and tripod, eyepiece, and everything you need to just take it out and start safely observing the Sun. White light solar binoculars also come with the filters pre-installed so they're ready to go right out of the box.

 



Other Narrowband Solar Filters

Having a dedicated hydrogen alpha solar telescope isn't the only way to get coveted narrowband views of the Sun. Some telescopes, like refractors, are compatible with special products like the DayStar Quark. If you have a larger aperture telescope like a large refractor or SCT, a DayStar Quark can be an excellent way to get incredibly high resolution views and images of the Sun in hydrogen alpha for a fraction of the price as a dedicated hydrogen alpha solar telescope.

Lastly, hydrogen alpha isn't the only bandpass that offers great views of the Sun. Other narrowband solar filters can isolate the Sun in alternate bandpasses, such as Calcium K, which produces a purplish image of the Sun in high resolution.