Lunt LS50THa 50 mm Dedicated H-alpha Solar Telescope Enhanced Kit
Experience Pressure-Tuned H-alpha Solar Excellence!
Bring the shifting surface of the Sun into focus with this dedicated solar scope from Lunt! Featuring a 50 mm f/7, Doppler pressure tuned, Ha telescope with the larger B600 blocking filter, this dedicated solar telescope reveals the powerful forces at work on the surface of our Solar System's star to both your eyepiece and camera alike. If you're looking for an enhanced solar telescope experience in a compact package with plenty of powerful accessories, this option is hard to beat!
The immense forces that drive the Sun provide for an ever shifting surface of solar flares, sun spots, filaments, and prominences; however, these incredible details are veiled from standard solar viewing filters. With the Lunt Solar 50 mm Ha Solar Telescope w/ B600 Blocking Filter you can cut through the Sun's overpowering light and reveal this incredible Ha detail beneath! This is all made possible with a specialized filter called an etalon, which rejects more light than even the narrowest Ha astrophotography filters. This USA made 50 mm solar telescope features an internally mounted etalon provides a narrow <0.65Å (0.065 nm!) window into the light spectrum. This extremely precise filtering renders the Ha features of the Sun in incredible detail, which you can surgically hone in with Lunt's premium Pressure Tuning system.
Please Note: Always exercise caution when viewing the Sun. Failure to observe proper safety measures while solar viewing can result in permanent eye damage.
LS50THa Enhanced Kit At a Glance
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True Doppler Tuning: The Lunt Pressure Tune System
With windows into the Sun's Ha spectrum measured in Angstroms, the view of the Sun's incredible features can be visibly affected by a phenomenon known as Doppler Shift. This effect causes the wavelength these details appear on to change, requiring you to shift the center of your bandpass "window" to compensate and bring them into focus. There are a number of ways to do this by manipulating the etalon responsible for filtering out the Ha detail: physically tilting it to change the distance between the two plates, or using pressure to force the plates to move towards/away from each other. For center mount filter systems like the Lunt 50 mm Ha Solar Telescope, pressure is desirable as center mount tilt-tuning can introduce a "ripple" effect; however if this pressure is unevenly applied this can lead to other distortions or poor performance. This is where Lunt's premium Pressure Tune system comes in! By simply tightening or loosening the tuner this system will adjust the internal pressure of the etalon, precisely and evenly adjusting the center wavelength for excellent detail rendition and uniform performance. The outstanding granularity this tuning system allows for can fine tune your view of surface features like filaments from where they start to the top of their arc towards you; and provides what Lunt describes as a "3D component" to your solar viewing experience!
Portable, Premium Ha Excellence!
With a dedicated solar design capable of rendering the full disc of the Sun in stunning detail, an imaging and observing capable B600 blocking filter, and set of three flat field eyepieces, this enhanced kit offers improved mechanical precision and a wide range of magnifications to choose from! Learn more about this dedicated solar telescope below!
Premium Dedicated Solar Design
This dedicated Ha scope from Lunt features a 50 mm aperture, f/7 focal ratio, optical design to give you a 350 mm focal length view of the Sun. This provides a full-disk image across the full range of the included eyepieces, and the improved etalon design provides a narrow <0.45Å (0.045 nm!) window into the light spectrum. This powerful filtering of the Sun's light has paired with Lunt's premium Pressure Tune system to bring surface filaments, flares, spots, granularity, as well as prominences, right to your eyepiece or camera in stellar detail and contrast. This powerful solar scope is manufactured at Lunt's facility in Tucson, Arizona, and every unit is individually measured at 656.28nm using their precision scanning monochromator.
Observing and Imaging Capable: The B600 Blocking Filter
With 6mm of clear aperture, the B600 blocking filter provides plenty of extra room to comfortably capture not just the full solar disc but also prominences leaping off of the fringes! This blocking filter comes equipped with an 1.25" compression fitting for holding your eyepieces and cameras, with a T2 thread for directly connecting cameras.
Please Note: The Blocking Filter is a required component for safe solar use of this telescope. Do not use this telescope without the Blocking Filter installed.
1:1 Rack & Pinion Focuser
To bring the Sun into focus this telescope features an 1.25" R&P Focuser. This focuser gives you a simple, yet effective way to hone in on the solar landscape, adjusting like a standard camera lens with a simple twist backwards or forwards. Crafted with CNC-machined aluminum and brass components, this focuser offers 0.5" of travel, an integrated brake with variable drag, and 6-8-pound weight capacity.
What's In The Box
Included with the Lunt 50 mm Ha Solar Telescope you will receive a clamshell single scope ring which features 1/2"-20 thread on the bottom for connecting your scope to a dovetail and a slot on the top for a solar finder. You'll also receive a B600 blocking filter, a SunLock Red Dot Finder that attaches to clamshell, and a 4" vixen style dovetail. This bundle also includes three flat-field 1.25" eyepieces. The 8 mm eyepiece provides 44x magnification for up-close views, and the 12 mm eyepieces provides (29x) magnification, making it a great all-purpose solar eyepiece. The 16 mm eyepieces provides a low power (22x) magnification, providing full-disk views with plenty of room to enjoy view prominences extending out along the limb. Finally, the entire kit comes safely stored in an aluminum reinforced carry case with soft foam insert cut to perfectly cradle the Lunt 50 mm Ha Solar Telescope and accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this solar telescope provide a "full disc" view of the Sun?
The Lunt 50 mm Solar Telescope w/ B600 blocking filter easily provides a "full disc" view of the Sun. The blocking filter provides 6 mm of clear aperture, so you'll be able to capture full-disc views with compatible cameras.
What is an etalon?
Etalons are the primary filters used in dedicated solar telescopes to isolate the H-alpha light emitted by the Sun. Contrary to standard astronomical filters that use coatings to block unwanted light, etalons use two reflective surfaces placed closely together that interact in such a way that only light of certain frequencies will pass through to the other side. The spacing between these surfaces and properties of the air inside determine which light is allowed through, features that are exploited in etalon tuning systems to adjust the wavelength being passed.
How does pressure tuning work?
Etalon based solar telescopes require "tuning" in order to isolate and adjust the specific wavelength being passes through the etalon filter. By simply tightening or loosening the tuner this system will adjust the internal pressure of the etalon, precisely and evenly adjusting the center wavelength for excellent detail rendition and uniform performance.
What is a blocking filter?
A blocking filter is a necessary component of dedicated solar telescope. These filters work to reject all remaining light outside of the H-alpha wavelength. This is necessary as etalons pass harmonics of the desired wavelength. The Lunt 50 mm Dedicated H-alpha Solar Telescope Enhanced Kit includes a B600 blocking filter that is built into a diagonal. This blocking filter provides 6 mm of clear aperture, which is more than enough to provide a "full disc" view of our Sun.
Astronomy Hub: Your one-stop-shop for Astrophotography Knowledge!
Our Gear Experts have compiled a wealth of information to help expand your astrophotography knowledge! Below you’ll find links to articles, videos and "how-to" guides. Just one more reason that our Astronomy Hub is a one-stop-shop for all your astronomy and astrophotography needs!
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