I want to build a telescope

[JMapleton]

Please tell me you'll be looking at the sun with a solar filter.....

 

[rockyct]

Please tell me you'll be looking at the sun with a solar filter.....

I doubt he'll find one to put over his giant mirror...

 

[DrPizza]

I use one of those mirrors all the time for demonstrations. And starting fires. Mostly starting fires as a demonstration. Kind of sucks when I'm holding a big piece of flaming paper in one hand, and the mirror in the other, "here, take the mirror. TAKE THE MIRROR!" and a student just stares, "oooooooh! Fire!" I should probably go outside for the demo.

Anyway, they're not that horrible - makes very nice inverted real images on the shades of things a couple hundred feet away outside.

 

[festa_freak]

check out cloudynights.com. They are a huge forum that will definately be willing to help you.

DO NOT BUY A TELESCOPE FROM WALMART!

What is your budget? A professionally made dobsonian can be as cheap as $300 for a 6". That will do the sun and planets quite well.

But really, look at a forum that is dedicated to telescopes. Just my advice. Astronomy is a great hobby. I've seen many things. Galaxies, Nebulae, planets (seen up to neptune) and aurora with my naked eye. I love the sky!

 

[JMapleton]

I doubt he'll find one to put over his giant mirror...

Then I doubt he'll look at the sun more than once because he's going to go blind.

 

[JMapleton]

DO NOT BUY A TELESCOPE FROM WALMART!

Did that really need to be said? lol

 

[Rakehellion]

Look, if you want a telescope pick one of these options: 1) have the experience of building your own personal telescope, or 2) save some money and buy a normal one. The mirror listed isn't going to show any detail. You'll see Jupiter but it will be a big fuzzy dot.

It'll be sharp near the middle and blurry toward the edges. Still better than a 6" and still cheaper.

Oh, and you really can't use it as a solar telescope (assuming it had the detail as well) unless you projected the image from the eyepiece at a sheet of white painted metal. Even then, your eye wouldn't be able to pick out detail in bright spot and it probably wouldn't be great on your eye to look at. Telescopes usually have a solar filter before the light hits the mirror as that way is much, much safer. A projection setup really only is useful during solar eclipses so you can see the bite taken out of the sun.

Yes, I understand how the human eye works and that people don't stare directly at the sun.

 

[alkemyst]

Screw the telescope OP, with a trash can and some explosives you could be to Jupiter in no time.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Those are half the size for 10x the money. I'm just looking for a mirror with a long focal length, not trying to donate this thing to the Smithsonian.

Keep looking because you haven't found it.

 

[JTsyo]

Shhh! You're ruining part of the exercise.
I admire anyone willing to actually do the work to understand how something works rather than just accepting what they were taught. It gives perspective on previous challenges and dispells the commonly held belief that we're generally more intelligent than folks hundreds of years ago.

The guys that make it to the history books aren't your average chaps. Those are the cream of crop.

 

[alkemyst]

The guys that make it to the history books aren't your average chaps. Those are the cream of crop.

Some that thought pushing a door that says "pull" over and over again have made it into the history books as well.

YMMV.

 

[rockyct]

It'll be sharp near the middle and blurry toward the edges. Still better than a 6" and still cheaper.

Nooooo....no it won't. Unless you've found someone who has tried this before and has reported on the results.

Yes, I understand how the human eye works and that people don't stare directly at the sun.

What exactly is your plan for it as far as a solar telescope. If you're complaining about the costs, you won't find a giant solar filter cheap enough even close to your price range. Projecting the sun won't do you much good either because it's sooooo bright.

 

[alkemyst]

Nooooo....no it won't. Unless you've found someone who has tried this before and has reported on the results.


What exactly is your plan for it as far as a solar telescope. If you're complaining about the costs, you won't find a giant solar filter cheap enough even close to your price range. Projecting the sun won't do you much good either because it's sooooo bright.

I think he's been trolling the middle school science club lately.