The sun has been observed with a telescope almost since the telescope’s invention, but it can be dangerous. Only by using a strong filter is the sun’s light dimmed enough to prevent eye damage. Today there are many suitable solar filters, for example the AstroSolar-Sun filter foil from AstroMedia.
The solar projector gets round this problem, because the sun is not viewed directly, but instead an image is formed by the optical system. This means that the sun can be observed completely safely without a solar filter. The solar projector uses the principle of the Camera Obscura (pin hole camera), with which solar eclipses have been observed since the 11th century and which is still used today in every camera: Light comes through a small opening into a dark chamber and creates an upside-down image of the outside world on the opposite wall.
Instead of a simple opening, the solar projector has a lens and a convex mirror, which together work like a Galilean telescope and produce a strongly magnified image. A plane mirror reflects the image to a comfortable viewing position. However, the main principle remains that of the camera obscura.
Complete cardboard kit contains:
8 printed cards A4 size
1 achromatic glass lens
2 convex mirrors and
1 acrylic glass plane mirror
(mehr ...) from 19,90 EUR
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