BBC Sky at Night Magazine. A star up close: how to observe and image the sun safely
About
Observing the Sun is a great opportunity to watch the dynamic nature of a star up close, and there are many ways to see captivating solar detail up close, revealing a hidden side to the nuclear furnace at the centre of our Solar System.
But solar observing is also one of the only occasions when astronomy carries a risk of serious damage to health – the Sun’s intense brightness can permanently impair eyesight if looked at directly, with or without a telescope.
Treated with respect, however, it is perfectly possible to enjoy spectacular close-up views of our local star and in this talk, expert solar imager Pete Lawrence guides you through practical steps to safe solar observing, both with and without optical aids.
He will show the details that can be viewed with everything from simple eclipse glasses to astro-imaging setups with specialist optical filters – features like sunspots, cells and prominences and how these different views can reveal the inner workings of the Sun which are not visible in normal ‘white light’.
Pete also looks at how to image the Sun and create a lasting record of our star’s dynamic activity, covering they types of equipment that are best suited to the task and the extra information that, when added, will make observations useful for ongoing scientific investigations.
You'll be able to submit your questions throughout the talk, which will be answered live in the second part of the presentation.
When
Thursday, July 1, 2021 · 7:00 p.m.
London (GMT +1:00)
Presenters
Pete Lawrence
Pete Lawrence is an expert astronomer and astrophotographer, and a co-presenter of The Sky at Night on BBC TV, with a particular interest in digital imaging.
Chris Bramley
Chris Bramley is the Editor of BBC Sky at Night Magazine. A journalist by training, he has been covering space and astronomy since 2005 and has headed up the magazine's editorial team since 2011.