Exploring the sun with the Lunt 40 dedicated hydrogen alpha telescope

[@birdnerdqc4028]

Nice video, lot of simple and straight to the point explanation. At 11:20 you mention using a DSLR what kind of adapter do you use, is it T2 to EF mount , did you use a known brand or a simple adapter from aliexpress?

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! You are correct, it's a T2 t-ring and t-adapter. I use the official celestron T-Adapter: amzn.to/49B6fRB And I use a Zhumell T-ring but I don't know if they make those anymore. It's equivalent to this one: amzn.to/43XDVaR I bought all my stuff more than 12 years ago, they were much cheaper back then. The stuff from aliexpress may be fine but you should test them thoroughly to make sure they fit, they thread correctly, and that they won't fall apart and break your gear. Let me know if you have any more questions!

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you for tuning in to this video! As we have two exciting eclipses on the horizon, it's crucial to prioritize your eye safety. Be sure to check out my video highlighting the top solar eclipse glasses for optimal protection: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZa2lYOFbqaqq5I Prepare yourself for upcoming solar eclipses with the reliable eclipse glasses available at Lunt Solar Systems:luntsolarsystems.com/product-category/eclipse-products/eclipse-glasses/ref/nazmus/?campaign=Lunt40FirstLight

[@rockspyder3970]

Thanks for this! You have answered a lot of questions novices would have, very informative👍🏻

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! That's great to hear 😊

[@paigecfrancis]

This was one of the best videos I’ve seen on this. Thanks for the comparison pics. I might have to check Lunt out and work my way up to a good asi camera, just using my mirrorless for now. Too bad it won’t get here in time for the solar eclipse 🤦🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you!! You should browse around cloudynights. I've seen a few Lunts get listed recently so you might get lucky. If you ever have questions about the scope or upgrading your camera, feel free to reach out.

[@miertjestoer9525]

Fantastic images through the Lunt 40!!

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you!

[@royramdeen8864]

Well done. Very informative. Thanks for sharing.

[@Naztronomy]

Glad it was helpful 😊

[@RK-ed7cc]

Excellent video! Thanks.

[@astroaddict6313]

nice video - I think I've been convinced to get the Lunt 40 double stack now instead of the Coronado PST double stack 🙂 more options and for a tiny bit more money I will have a brighter image with the 6mm blocker and my sun finder won't be blocked by the 2nd etalon

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks! And awesome! Lunt is definitely a good choice. I don't think I'll upgrade to a double stack but I'm interested to see what kind of images you take with it! Clear skies!

[@astroaddict6313]

@@Naztronomy thanks - do you think I should go for the 12mm blocker over the 6mm as I'll be using my Nikon mirrorless cam and not a dedicated ZWO cam? also does the 12mm help to improve the image (better output) when using a double stack and at the small 40mm size?

[@Naztronomy]

@@astroaddict6313 The only difference between the 12mm and 6mm blocking filter is the size of the hole in the diagonal. The sun's diameter with the Lunt 40 is 4mm in size without a Barlow. If you use a 2x Barlow, then the sun's size will be 8mm and a camera with a big enough sensor (like your Nikon assuming it's at least a crop-sensor), you'll be able to still see the whole sun. If you ever get a bigger Lunt scope, the 12mm may also come in handy then because you won't have to spend money on a bigger filter. if you look at the video at the 8:21 mark, you can see the blocking filter hole that I'm referring to. The 12mm will just be larger. No change in image quality, just how much you can see in one go. I would have gotten the 12mm blocking filter myself if it wasn't so expensive! But I'm really happy with the 6mm. Let me know if you have any more questions. Clear skies!

[@astroaddict6313]

@@Naztronomy cool thanks

[@Naztronomy]

@@astroaddict6313 Anytime!

[@MountainFisher]

I decided to get the Lunt 50mm with the B600 on sale used from my Astronomy Club. If you double stack you better have more aperture than 40mm or even 60mm as it will have an extremely dim view according to a couple of guys in my club. Need an 80mm for double stack. Ed Ting said the same thing on his channel, said you can't see a thing. To aim it just use its shadow, when smallest you're on it. You don't really need a solar scope, but. Just put a RACI finder scope with a white filter on it with a hose clamp if you have one.😎

[@Naztronomy]

Congrats on the new scope! Dimmer view through a double stack makes sense since it brings the light transmission down quite a bit. I remember Ed Ting saying he couldn't see anything with the Calcium-K filter with his 100mm Lunt. There are a few people in my astro club with double stack Lunts, I haven't heard anything about them having trouble with seeing h-alpha but I'll ask around and check back. Shadow aiming is definitely a good method. That's how I used to do it with my white-light setup. And nice tip about a white light filter on a RACI finder.

[@MountainFisher]

@@Naztronomy I thought about getting a CaK since I can see it with the infinite focus lens in my eyes after cataract surgery, but really didn't want to see the Sun in blue. I don't know where you got pressure tuning is new, it has been around for a long time and once you learn to use it you'll see 3D effects with flare filaments to surface granulations. I also chose the 50mm for 55% more light gathering power over 40mm. Pi x radius squared.

[@nikpan9744]

Great video! I like that you started by showing a picture, so we can see how it looks! I was wondering how it looks with your bare eyes, is the picture at 11:10 an accurate representation?

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! Yes! That's a very good representation of what it looks like visually. But it actually looks even better because it doesn't have the smudging around the sun. That only exists in the image because it was hard trying to hold my phone flush against the eyepiece during the day without light leaking into it from the side. I couldn't get a clear enough shot with my phone but you can see the entire sun with the sunspots and prominences all around. Hope that makes sense, let me know if you have any questions.

[@eddia3998]

Do you really recommend the double stack for the 40mm? Thanks

[@Naztronomy]

I don't use a double stack filter so I can't say either way but personally, I don't plan to double stack because I can get the contrast I want out of the sun in my post processing steps. Check out some of my later solar videos on how I process images of the sun. e.g.: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaOudImLa9Gofrs I'm sure a double stack would have made it easier for me but I'm pretty happy with my setup and process. Clear skies!

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

I have the LS50 simply because the 40 was not available in the UK when I bought it. It has one advantage in that it is possible to modify the pressure tuner to permit remote operation. (There is an article in an edition of Astronomy Now magazine from a few years ago on how to do this) although I have not done this myself. I will be adding an auto focuser at some point though (I use my scope predominantly for imaging and would like to use it with my Eagle LE control unit). Those images through the 40 look great.

[@Naztronomy]

Remote pressure tuning sounds amazing! I'd love to be able to set up a remote solar setup so I can just look at the sun when it's clear. If you do try it, let me know, I'd love to see how it works. I assume you have the feather touch focuser since you want to add an auto focuser? I wanted the feather touch but I was told the wait would be months. And on top of that, they removed it as an option and made it into an addon. So you have to get the helical focuser and then you can preorder the feather touch. Thank you and clear skies!

[@multispeciesangler]

I appreciate this video. This was the most helpful one that I came across on a search for viewing the sun with a telescope. Just pre-ordered the Lunt 40 with the 6mm. Hoping it arrives sooner than later. Do you have a mount that you'd recommend? I'm brand new here and haven't even done other viewing with a telescope.

[@Naztronomy]

Congrats on the new telescope! I hope it arrives soon. I think once the upcoming eclipse is over, these telescopes will start to ship faster. I have two mount recommendations for you. The first is the Sky-Watcher SolarQuest. This is a great mount, especially if you're a beginner. It's literally a single button operation where you set up your gear, turn it on, and it'll find and track the sun for you. I have a video on that mount here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3abfHpmrbCUpK8 Drawbacks of that is that it's ONLY for solar astronomy. You won't be able to track anything else. But because it's specialized, it does the one thing it's designed to do very well. I usually get started with it in a few minutes, no need to align, no apps, no fuss. You'd just have to decide whether you want a dedicated solar mount (but it does go well with a dedicated solar telescope). Second option is the Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi. It looks exactly like the SolarQuest but it's meant for general astronomy, not just solar. I have a video here talking about how you can track the sun in 3 different ways with this mount: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6iQpnybbJiJoJI It requires and app and some extra work, but it works really well. The benefits include being able to use it for night time astronomy to track anything in the sky and it converts into an Equatorial mount when you're ready to try an eq mount. It's also a little bit cheaper. The drawback for solar astronomy is that you need to use an app and it's not a single button operation. There are other mounts that you can research but I think for someone starting out, the two mounts above are my top recommendations. The mount I use in this video is the Celestron AVX. Great mount but definitely not beginner friendly at first but it gets easier and easier as you use it more. Great for astrophotography though. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@multispeciesangler]

@@Naztronomy it's about 10 weeks on getting that scope. I did however purchase a Nikon P1000 and the Sky-Watcher AZ-GTI though. I'm planning to watch your video on that mount. I may just stick with that one if I can get it to work for the sun with the camera. Thanks for your help!

[@Naztronomy]

@@multispeciesangler That's a nice camera! I haven't used it but heard a lot of great things about it. Since it's a color camera, you should expect that only 1/4 of your pixels will get used since h-alpha is in the deep red part of the spectrum. You can still get nice detail out of it in post-processing (much better than the example I had in my video because I didn't really try that hard with that camera). Hope the AZ-GTi treats you well! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

[@miertjestoer9525]

Hi. If the glass on the front is broken , can you replace it with a new one? Thanks.

[@Naztronomy]

If the glass on the etalon is broken, you'd have to get that part replaced, not just the glass. At that point, you can send your telescope back to Lunt and they'll get that done for you.

[@toptenguy1907]

So to be clear, without the diagonal you cannot use for the sun, ask in you will damage your cameras without the diagonal. And the diagonal doesn’t come with the telescope?

[@Naztronomy]

The diagonal is the blocking filter and the base price includes a diagonal with the smallest blocking filter. And yes, it's necessary for safety because it has additional filters that are required for the Lunt. With that said, it's not mandatory to buy the diagonal with the Lunt. If you already have your own, you can contact them and order the telescope without the blocking filter and they should subtract the cost from the total. Let me know if you have more questions.

[@starastronomer]

Great pictures and video! I got the 40mm earlier this year too. I got the 12mm blocking filter and upgraded to the Starlight Instruments focuser. The fact that it is so compact is what I like. NOT SURE you can upgrade to the Starlight Instruments focuser though??? I think the tube length is different???

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! Did you get the focuser from Lunt? Those ones should fit. Did yours come with a helical focuser too? I think nowadays they send you the helical by default and you can get the starlight focuser as an add-on which you need to switch out yourself.

[@starastronomer]

@@Naztronomy I ordered the 40mm direct from Lunt with the Starlight Instruments focuser. I did not receive the helical focuser.

[@Naztronomy]

@@starastronomer If you haven't yet, reach out to their support. I found them to be very responsive and they should be able to help you figure out why it won't fit. Maybe they sent you the wrong size?

[@starastronomer]

@@Naztronomy Not sure what you mean? Everything is fine. My 40mm was ordered for the Starlight Instruments focuser. I don't want the helical focuser. You do not get the helical if you order it with the Starlight Instruments focuser.

[@Naztronomy]

@@starastronomerAh sorry, I misunderstood. Thought you were having issues with your focuser but glad to hear everything is fine!

[@markdrexler382]

I just purchased the Lunt 40mm after watching this video. Thank you for the recommendation. I noticed in another video you made about this scope that you have a case for it. I’m looking for a case for mine now. What do you have and where did you find it ? Thanks !

[@Naztronomy]

Awesome! How long is your wait for the Lunt? I'm using an Apache 4800 Case from Harbor Freight. It's about $60 brand new but they go on sale fairly often for $45-50. The 4800 fits the foam sent with the Lunt 40 perfectly with some extra room for accessories.

[@markdrexler382]

I ordered it in early July and received it a couple days ago. After I ordered it , they did tell me it’d be 4 months till delivery so I was quite surprised when I got an email saying it was ready to ship. I got a chance to use it yesterday. Just awesome!! I’m so happy with it.

[@Naztronomy]

Wow! I'm impressed. I had to wait a while for mine. Feel free to check out my other videos on the Lunt and reach out with questions. Questions always give me new video ideas :) Clear skies!

[@markdrexler382]

@@Naztronomy I’ll definitely watch more of your videos. I did subscribe to your channel. The videos I did watch were very interesting and informative. With any questions I have , is the comment section the best place to ask or is there an email? Thanks again for all your help

[@Naztronomy]

@@markdrexler382 Thanks! Comments are the best way to get to me, I check for new comments every day or so. There's also a discord server you can join and ask questions. The invite link is in the description below. Comments on specific videos may be somewhat better because I can align my brain to the question.

[@alecsheedlo6751]

How do you think the asi120mm-s would work with the lunt 40 b600?

[@Naztronomy]

You'll get similar results to what I have. The sensor is exactly the same so the FOV will be the same. The -s version has higher frame rate because it's USB 3.0 so it's better in that sense.

[@miertjestoer9525]

Hi, maybe for imaging it doesn't matter . But I wonder if the views are sharp when you viewing visually at home with a lot of stones around? Thanks for the tip! ( the images are GREAT through the ZWO camera!! )

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks! The Mini ZWO cam worked better than I expected. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by 'lot of stones around.' Can you clarify a bit more?

[@miertjestoer9525]

@@Naztronomy Hi, I have heard that "stones" ( houses, streets ...) can caused turbulence, and that it is better for viewing to go at a grassy field. Is this true?

[@Naztronomy]

@@miertjestoer9525 From my experience, most of the turbulence is higher in the atmosphere so houses, streets, trees, etc. shouldn't affect the seeing. I actually find that setting up next to my house is better because it blocks the wind so my mount doesn't move/vibrate. I've never heard the term "stones" to describe houses and streets, very interesting! Learning something new today. Thanks!

[@miertjestoer9525]

@@Naztronomy thanks! no... I just ment that houses and streets are made from stones you know...and that this can caused turbulence or what ever with the heat from the sun, and that it is better to go away from buildings to a grassy field, where there is less interaction with this . But, I also don't understand what they mean with this "interaction with houses made of stones" ( I have to laugh myself...you may have right)

[@lucasgatsas]

Hello, I have a Lunt40mm and a ASI290mm, my question is, how to get the full disk of the son? there is 1-2cm missing of the Sun. No Full Disk image? How do i fix this? Are you have a Tip? Would be very nice to achieve the goal. Thanks a lot. Peace

[@Naztronomy]

Unfortunately, the sensor on the ASI290 is too small to get the full disk. The f/10 focal ratio of the Lunt 40 zooms in just a little too much. You'd need something with a bigger sensor like the ASI174mm or even the ASi178mm. I'm hoping to get one of these at some point. Check out this FOV calculator for a visual on the FOV: www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php For the telescope, choose the Lunt 60 and then modify the aperture and focal length to 40/400mm. It doesn't have the Lunt 40 by default, I submitted the specs, still waiting for them to add it. Edit: Also adding that there is no reducer for h-alpha scopes so we're stuck with f/10 being the fastest focal ratio. Clear skies!

[@lucasgatsas]

@@Naztronomy Now i have the Lunt 40mm and next Week the Zwo Asi 174mm :D Can't wait. :))

[@Naztronomy]

Awesome! That's gonna be a great combo. I'm trying to get my hands on the 174mm or 178mm now. Clear skies!

[@danielbrowniel]

I am still looking for anyone with one of these to show us a picture of what it looks like to the naked eye. If it looks washed out and red like your first photos,.. I wouldn't want to buy this.

[@Naztronomy]

You may be more interested in a white light filter instead of a hydrogen alpha telescope. Check out this video here where I show you a how to make a filter hat for your telescope for cheap: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aobbi6GXoKeMprc For this video covering the Lunt 40, the picture you see on the phone around the 10:56 mark is very close to what you'd see with the naked yet. Minus the haziness around the disk. Hydrogen Alpha telescopes show you a very narrow and specific wave length of light on the red part of the electromagnetic spectrum so there's really no way to see anything other than that without taking a picture and post processing it. The white light filter as seen in the other video blocks about 99.999% of the light including harmful UV and IR, and the coating makes the sun look a familiar yellow.