The Solarscope

The Solarscope is a clever little device that allows easy and safe projection of the Sun. I initially purchased one (from Green Witch) in August 2005 so that I’d have something to observe the partial eclipse in October that year (not that I actually got to observe it in the end).

Since then it’s been an invaluable tool for solar observing and I use it almost every clear day to perform a sunspot count.

Building the Solarscope isn’t a very hard job – I’d estimate that it took me around 20 minutes to complete (including a couple of head-scratch moments). The two head-scratch moments were points where you do need to pay attention as getting it wrong appeared to be a you-can’t-fix-it situation. The first is when you place the mirror into its holder (you need to make sure you put it in the right way round) and the second is when you fit the outer holder for the lens on the end of the telescope (it’s got some sort of ratchet thing on it that means you can’t easily unscrew it again). As long as you don’t rush the job I don’t see this as been a problem.

Construction is simply a case of following the instructions that come with the ‘scope. Lots of folding of cardboard is involved but it’s mostly clear what should go where.

One problem I did find, during the first test after construction, is that the inside of the main box (the white part that you project the image on) has some small, dark spots. When initially projecting the Sun they first looked like actual sunspots – quite confusing at first. In long-term use I’ve found that this isn’t a problem as I’ve got to know where these marks are and given that the Sun moves while you’re observing you soon notice which are real spots and which are just marks.

The Solarscope is very easy to use – probably one of the best examples of a “grab-n-go” observing tool there is. Using it is simply a case of finding a flat, stable surface, placing the ‘scope on it, pointing it at the Sun and enjoying the view. Getting it lined up on the Sun isn’t at all difficult, all you have to do is turn the whole box and tilt the inner box until the shadow of the orange ‘scope part is at its smallest and you’re almost there. Inside the box, if you don’t already have an image projected, you’ll see a small white circle somewhere near the mirror (that’s the image of the Sun), all you then have to do is further twist and tilt the ‘scope until the dot falls on the mirror and you’ll then have an image of the Sun projected onto the white screen.

Other than trying to observe the odd eclipse (I’ve managed to observe two so far, one on 2006-03-29 and another on 2008-08-01) I mostly use the Solarscope for performing sunspot counts (which I submit to the SPA‘s solar section at the end of each month). I’d say that the ‘scope isn’t the ideal instrument for this job in that it doesn’t really allow you to measure the location of the spots (something that isn’t required for submitted reports but does add more useful detail) but if the choice is between having something that can be taken outside at a moment’s notice, to make a quick observation (during the week I tend to observe if it’s clear while I’m having lunch), and not making an observation at all then the choice seems pretty clear. Given this, I’d say that the Solarscope isn’t a “serious” observing tool if solar observing is your main interest but if you want something that’s easy to store, easy to get out and set up and easy to use then the Solarscope is worth some serious consideration.