How to Capture Great Solar Images

NOTE: This video has been replaced by a more recent version! Check out:
• How to capture AMAZING...
In this video I show how to use Sharpcap and a mono camera to capture great solar images in both white light and hydrogen alpha. I cover general tips, seeing, focus, flats, filters, exposure and gain recommendations and much more.
I use the Lunt 100MT for all my hydrogen alpha imaging.
For more information on the Lunt 100MT, please click:
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[@johngleason6472]

Came across your video today. Just getting started with Solar imaging. Very helpful.

[@alainprevost4358]

Great video: it answers a lot of questions I had and will certainly improve my imaging.

[@Red..E.]

Watching this video in anticipation for the solar eclipse in a week! Just got everything so hopefully I can capture some good photos with your tutorial!! :)

[@AZASTROGUY]

Hope you get clear skies. Long term forecast suggests much of the eclipse path may have clouds!

[@GarnettLeary]

Thorough and great use of Sharpcap.

[@AZASTROGUY]

Thank you kindly!

[@juanjosemoreno1348]

Excellent video, very clear explanation. Useful info to improve my sun imaging, thanks!!!

[@scottsdale90]

Thank you!

[@niraj_dave]

thanks for really good explanation

[@geosobservations9496]

Super cool thank you 8D, some neat tid bits here, I'm just using my phone but with the deep sky camera app I am getting better. There's some great info here easily explained. I think it will help me understand how to get some better images 8D

[@Oamaruastro]

Really wonderful video and very helpful to a noob like me! Thanks!

[@nancyricigliano19]

Great video, thank you for taking the time share.

[@AZASTROGUY]

Thanks for watching!

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

Nice tutorial. very informative!

[@yellowlynx]

Well, when I get clear skies (and before the weather gets really hot), I will try my gear too!

[@junnchavez9961]

Wow! a TTS-160 Panther, great mount

[@Thunder_Dome45]

I really have to learn Sharpcap. I didn't even know it would use seeing monitor to get the best frames right at capture, or even that there was a seeing monitor.

[@DrBenSutterEugene]

do you have a video of how to tune the DS2 module on the Lunt?

[@scidav87]

Thank you!

[@AstraGate]

This is a Dream Solar Telescope. 😀

[@jeffratino5456]

Great video. It'll be helpful for me to get started. Question about flats: can I use my led flat panel that I use for my deep sky imaging?

[@scottsdale90]

You could but it's an unnecessary complication. Just put a white shirt over the end of your scope, or wax paper, or a proper diffusing lens like I show. It's bright enough in the daylight you don't need an illuminated panel

[@jeffratino5456]

@@scottsdale90 Ok, thanks. I don't have a diffusing lens, that's why I asked about the light pane. I'll try the tshirt.

[@ThePigBallz]

Outstanding video. I have a coronado solarmax ii 60 but am considering buying the filters to double stack on my 100ed. Do you know the filters I would need for this? Thanks!

[@AZASTROGUY]

If you mean an Esprit 100ED then you might consider a Quark chromosphere

[@zaphodbeebs961]

Can I ask what your setup is for capturing white light? Do you have any in-line energy rejection using an IR/UV cut or something else? or is the telescope straight through to the camera? If possible, can you demonstrate the best way to tune the Ha Lunt module and what difference it makes?

[@AZASTROGUY]

I use the Lunt MT100 with their hershel wedge. In this configuration the Ha elements and blocking filter are removed and it's essentially a night time refractor. But the herschel wedge is essential to safely attenuate the light of the Sun. On the camera, I have a UV/IR cut filter. The way I tune is to screw in the tuning knobs until I see nice detail on the surface and prominences. Any filaments should show nice contrast to the surface. If you haven't used your scope for a few days you might unscrew the tuner completely to equalize the air pressure and then screw it in again until you get pleasing results. You can also call Lunt and ask for Brian, he's the expert!

[@graemehutton4105]

This is a really great video, thanks so much, Q: Are you adding anything to the imaging train to remove Newton's Rings. I couldn't see any tilt device in the video?

[@scottsdale90]

Not normally. I do have a tilt device but rarely use it, it seems far more trouble than it's worth. I find taking flats helps a great deal. If you have banding on your final image after ImPPG then I take a soft brush at 30-50% opacity and paint over adding slight (20%) brightness where necessary and that takes care of it.

[@graemehutton4105]

@@scottsdale90 Thanks so much!

[@petertweet4040]

Hi, i used the seeing tool myself and when clouds show up in front of the sun, the seeing is becoming "better". What I mean is, that the number is getting bigger and getting more green. My assumption was that sharpcap would not image when clouds appear. So I'm not sure if the seeing tool is working for solar imaging? or what do I miss? Thx for the answer

[@AZASTROGUY]

Hi Peter. I've never tried to image the Sun when it was partly cloudy. Seeing Monitor definitely works for solar imaging. I see a clear positive correlation between dynamic image quality and the seeing value reported by Sharpcap. My best solar photos are those when the seeing was above 5. It may be that when clouds cover the objective Sharpcap interprets that as 'uniform' and gives an erroneous positive value. I guess the takeaway is not to rely on the seeing monitor unless you have clear skies.

[@ABetterName22]

Hey great vid I’m getting into this recently, what exactly does the flatcap do/ what is a flat?

[@AZASTROGUY]

Hi there. Flats are calibration images taken to reduce the effect of dust grains, newton's rings, uneven exposure and other defects in the image train. This video explains it well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmeqm6p-qbd-bpI Sharpcap allows you to take flats and automatically apply them to live imaging.

[@farnellmaster1920]

Can you use the solar filter and a ha filter for getting the flares

[@AZASTROGUY]

No. You need either a specific solar telescope like a Lunt or a hydrogen alpha device like a quark in series with a refractor

[@nightskyimaging]

May I ask where you got you Frosted Lens Cap for your flats? - and great video!

[@AZASTROGUY]

Sure thing. Here you go: www.daystarfilters.com/FlatCap/Index.shtml I asked Andy Lunt to make them for Lunt scopes but they weren't interested.

[@nightskyimaging]

@@AZASTROGUY I appreciate it!

[@aprendendo.astronomia]

Hi. Another doubt. To capture h-alpha images, do I need to also use the white filter, to dim the incoming light? Even in Newtonian Telescopes?

[@scottsdale90]

No. You need a special Ha filter or scope. Lunt, Coronado, and Quark are popular examples. With a white light filter, you will only see sunspots and granulation.

[@aprendendo.astronomia]

@@scottsdale90 Thanks. I bought a H-Alpha eyepiece filter, and also the white filter and I was wondering if removing the white would make the equipament overheat... I ll wait to arrive and test then... thanks again

[@scottsdale90]

@@aprendendo.astronomia DO NOT use an ha eyepiece filter with the Sun. It is for ha from nebulas and you will damage both your telescope and your eyesight!!!

[@aprendendo.astronomia]

@@scottsdale90 ok .. good to know... I would never use it with my eyes, just the camera, but neither that... thanks.

[@akashicrecords369]

Hi, May I know how did you focus the sun? I found it not so easy to focus it clearly...I am using lunt 60mm with DS. thanks.

[@AZASTROGUY]

Focus can be tricky. I look for something on the surface with structure - a filament, an active region, or sunspot. Then I center it and zoom 250-300% for an extreme closeup. Then once I have approximate focus, I tighten to 80% the focus adjustment and rack the fine focus back and forth, waiting for moments of good seeing. When it's the best it can be, then fully tighten the focus. Another method is to slide the histogram center line to the right until the surface is very black/white contrasty, and focus on that.

[@akashicrecords369]

@@AZASTROGUY no wonder...because it quite hard and tricky as you said. I am always got the "white colour ball" without the details, even thought I adjusted histogram, gain, exposure etc, still nothing happened. tried to fine tune from the scope as well as the pressure tuner also not easy..Anyway, will give a try with you methods and see. Thank you Sir;-)

[@Polaris97]

@@akashicrecords369 same! I always try to capture over and over again till I reached an image where sunspots are visible and sharp. Very tricky and tiring especially being under the scorching sun

[@akashicrecords369]

@@Polaris97 yes, not easy..hehe. 😎😎

[@DrBenSutterEugene]

What do you use as a solar tracker?

[@scottsdale90]

I just use my TTS-160 mount's built in solar guiding. It's fine for photos, but I have ordered a Hutech solar guider which I should receive at the end of September. Once I've tested that I'll do a report on it and if it's a good solution for time lapse animations of solar flares.

[@spudwebster]

I plan to capture the sun in Ha during the Eclipse, April 8th 2024. I recognize that as the moon moves in front of the sun, less light will enter my telescope and the image will dim. I was just gong to monitor the histogram and keep bumping up gain or exposure time. My question is: "Is there a way to automate this"? Is there an "auto exposure"? Any ideas for a work around?

[@AZASTROGUY]

I am not aware of any automatic way to do it. I think it requires manual monitoring, which is a challenge because you don’t want to miss the eclipse itself.

[@spudwebster]

@@AZASTROGUY Thanks for the response. I love SharpCap; however, FireCapture does have an auto exposure feature. You can set the histogram to remain at say 75% and it will change the gain and/or exposure time to keep it there. I've been playing around with it and have it working. Lets just say I am cramming to Learn FireCapture before the Eclipse. Clear Skies to you my friend!

[@MrXTDiver]

need more inf on lenses and telescopes to start!!

[@AZASTROGUY]

@@MrXTDiver you should see the newer version of this video. Plus, I have a separate video on choosing a solar telescope.

[@philfuture3549]

Hi from philphuture.

Do you have a link for the flat cap to buy?

[@AZASTROGUY]

www.daystarfilters.com/FlatCap/Index.shtml Note - this is an old video. I published a much more complete update this year.

@@AZASTROGUY super... now I can´t expect your new video :D thanks for the fast answere. I have a ASI290MM and a Lunt LS60 and try to do flats

[@bobmurphy9380]

Is it best to buy the licence for Sharpcap to get the best image possible. I'm using the free software but jut can't get a sharp image of the sun.

[@scottsdale90]

The Pro version will not affect image quality. If you're getting out of focus images you need to work on focus itself. Focusing of solar images can be tricky. Assuming you are seeing sharp visual images of the sun, and your camera is suitable for solar imaging, then you should be able to get sharp solar images.

[@bobmurphy9380]

@@scottsdale90 Thanks Mark, I'm using a Celestron 8SE and a ZWO ASI462MM Planetary Camera. The filter is a Baader Planetarium A4 solar sheet. I've been told I need to us a Ha filter?

[@scottsdale90]

@@bobmurphy9380 Your Baader film will allow you to use your 8SE to see the photosphere (sunspots, granulation). But you CANNOT use the 8SE with an Ha filter to look at the chromosphere (solar flares and surface activity). You must use either a dedicated solar telescope like a Lunt or a Coronado, or a Quark attached to a refractor. Photographic Ha filters are designed for pulling out Ha detail in galaxies. They are completely unsuitable and dangerous to use with the Sun

[@bobmurphy9380]

@@scottsdale90 Ah, now it makes sense, thanks for this. I'll be on the hunt for one of these dedicated telescopes, thanks Mark.

[@skye7690]

I put my solar filter on my telescope but at any focus i get just white or gray or black.

[@AZASTROGUY]

Do you mean a broadband filter over the objective? What kind of filter? What model telescope? Visual or with a camera?

[@skye7690]

@@AZASTROGUY no this is a solar filter over the front of the scope. WO GT71 with reducer.

[@AZASTROGUY]

Broadband solar filter? Are you using an eyepiece or a camera? Which ones? @@skye7690

[@MichaelTadashi]

Again, capturing in 16-bit doesn’t give you the maximum resolution. It’s about the dynamic range. It’s only crucial when you capture the faint prominence or bright solar flare. It’s not advantageous otherwise, while giving your larger file size and slower frame rate.

[@AZASTROGUY]

Thanks for the feedback Michael. I've done direct comparisons of sequential captures with both 8 bit AVI and 16 bit SER and always get better results with 16 bit SER.

[@MichaelTadashi]

Most of the time it's the seeing that makes the difference in the final result. For planetary imaging, there are a lot of factors which affect the final result, from the seeing, temperature, number of good frames in stack, etc. Even if we take two sets of recordings back to back one immediately after another, the condition would not be the exact same. Anyway, the resolution is still limited by the optics and not the bit depth. Maybe you get better result with 16-bit SER but to relate it to resolution is not correct. Cheers.