SOL Searching
TLDR - Bought a solar scope, took pictures of the sun. Neat.
Recently I wrestled with the idea of picking up a larger refractor (Ultra-Cat 108 ) but between my access to a Fluoro132 / GT81, and my RC51 - there really isn’t anything that’s “out of reach” of the 3; another deep-field refractor seemed redundant. But like any good astronomer, I reevaluated and pondered what could elevate the arsenal… that’s when it hit me; why the hell do I not own a solar scope?
8 minutes later I was pulling the trigger on a dedicated Ha Lunt (50mm) rig I had meticulously pieced together back in 2019; opting for a double stack alongside the pressure etalon to get comfortably into that sub .5 angstrom range. It preserves everything I love about my RedCat (size, weight, portability) and reinforces my tenets of keeping my setups convenient, light, and streamlined.
Naturally, snow crept in the day it arrived (😂), and I was forced to stare at it for a week; but eventually I was blessed with two full days of cloudless blue — during the largest sunspot complex formation in 160 years (Carrington Event) I might add, and the Lunt absolutely delivered. I threw everything I could think of at this scope to put it through the paces (and of course capture this event); Timelapsing, 2.5x POI, 5x POI, Full-Disc, Partial Disc - everything. 8 hours of uninterrupted imaging later, I emerged with nearly a Terabyte of collected data (😮💨) and a massive smile on my face.
Sol (Full Disc + Sunspot Complex AR 4294-4296)
Scope: LS50THa (Double Stacked)
Camera: Apollo 428M Max (2.5x Powermate)
Sol (Partial Disc + Sunspot Complex AR 4294-4296)
Scope: LS50THa (Double Stacked)
Camera: Apollo 428M Max (5x Powermate)
Sunspot Complex (AR 4294-4296)
Scope: LS50THa (Double Stacked)
Camera: Apollo 428M Max (2.5x Powermate)
This little scope destroys at Colorado’s higher elevation and pairs perfectly with both a 2.5x & 5x Televue Powermate for full-disc & POI imaging using an Apollo 428M Max; although both configurations required the powermate T2 thread adapter to achieve focus. Data capture and processing was similar to my lunar workflow so the “transition” was effortless. Being in a mac exclusive workflow (as of mid 2025) meant finding alternatives / work-arounds for certain tools I was already comfortable with — thankfully Crossover / Wine sealed many of the gaps.
Software workflow for this project:
FireCapture (Capturing) → PIPP (Preprocessing) → AutoStakkert (Stacking) → ImPPG (Sharpening) → PixInsight (Editing) → Photomator (Formatting)
*I know how difficult it can be to piece together information for a setup when so little is available outside of regular forum surfing (especially for solar); If you’re stumbling upon this post from some random corner of the internet and have questions - feel free to ask them in the little comments area below (no account/registration is needed - only a name) or jump over to my contact page. If I can help, I absolutely will.
Exciting times lie ahead; I wonder what flare (badum cha) we can bring to the solar world 🤔 - time will tell.
Clear skies. 🫡
