In this section of the lab, you will observe the Sun using the Solar Telescope on VAO (pictured above) with a filter designed for viewing active features on the Sun's surface. The Coronados use an H alpha filter which only transmits red light from hydrogen gas.
WARNING: DO NOT MOVE THE TELESCOPE UNTIL YOUR TA GIVES APPROVAL! ENSURE ALL TELESCOPES OTHER THAN THE SOLAR TELESCOPE ARE COVERED BEFORE POINTING AT THE SUN! POINTING AN UNCOVERED TELESCOPE AT THE SUN WILL DESTROY THE TELESCOPE OPTICS AND CAMERA!
Exercise
- Telescopes ususally concentrate the light from faint objects in the night sky. What are the primary differences between observing the Sun and observing a faint star at night?
- Take an image of the sun using the solar telescope on VAO. You will then identify the features in your image in a similar fashion to Part 1.
- How many of each feature from Part 1 do you observe with VAO?