The Sun is another interesting feature of the sky to photograph - Daytime Astronomy

Before I go any further:

NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITH THE NAKED EYE OR WITH YOUR TELESCOPE AS IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY

Disregarding this warning cold cause loss of your eyesight. A telescope gathers more light than the human eye in order for objects to be magnified and viewed in more detail. You should never look at the sun with your naked eyes as it can cause part or entire blindness due to the immense brightness. By pointing your telescope at the sun, you are focusing a large, intense amount o light into a tiny point - the eyepiece. This will cause the telescope to act almost like a laser, burning anything put in front of the eyepiece when focused. Think back to when you were young - did you ever burn things using a magnifying glass? - The same principal applies here. Never look through your telescope with solar glasses as they will afford no protection. Don't take the risk. If you wish to study the sun with your telescope, invest in a high quality solar filter or solar telescope like those made by Coronado.

Never rely on cheap sun filters like those that often come with children's telescopes as they will likely crack and vaporise instantly. The other alternative is to make or purchase a solar projection box. These are very safe, simple to make and use. Solar projection may not be suitable for all telescopes as it could cause intense heat, which may damage the telescope. Contact the manufacturer of your scope before you attempt this. The photos below were taken with my old, small Tasco refractor as I did not want to risk damaging my larger scope.

A solar projection box is simply a box that goes on the eyepiece end of the telescope with a piece of paper at the far end on the inside. A shoebox will suit the purpose:

Remove the Lid

Cut a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the eyepiece end of the scope in the center at one end.

Cut a blank piece of paper to fit the other end of the box and stick it in place.

Cut a hole in the lid for looking through

Place the lowest power eyepiece into the end of the telescope and attach the projection box, making sure it is in line with the eyepiece.

Now comes the difficult part of pointing the telescope at the sun without looking at it!

When the sun comes into view on the paper, focus the image and hopefully you will see some sunspots. Move the scope around slightly to bring a different part of the sun into view and make sure to cover the whole disc so you don't miss anything.

You do not need to use the box lid, but it can help to stop daylight getting in which may reduce the contrast of the image.

You can now take photographs of the projected image through the top of the box.

Some people prefer to use the quick method of projecting the sun, by using a blank piece of paper instead of the projection box, which is fine for quick observations but there are a few problems with it. You will have to find a way of holding the paper a suitable distance from the eyepiece so you have both hands free if you want to take pictures. Also, daylight will shine onto the paper causing a loss of contrast and possibly glare, which can dramatically reduce detail.

Please click on a photo below for a larger image: