Where can i buy a solar filter for my telescope?

[shesxgotxyouxhigh]

I've got a celestron nexstar SLT 60 and need a 1.25" solar filter cause im sad like that but i dont live in the USA so all the postage and packaging is like £50 not even including the price of the filter! HELP!!! x

[Carlos_dfc]

Hi

DO NOT use an eyepiece filter - no matter how safe they claim to be - they aren't, and should be banned IMHO

You should ALWAYS filter the Sun before it enters the telescope - that means a large filter over the whole of the objective.

I use 'Baader Astrosolar' sun filter material
You can get it at most astro-kit dealears in UK, for around £15 for an A4 sheet
[Registered users can see links. ]
From the A4 sheet, I made a filter for my 90mm telescope, a pair for my 70mm binoculars, one for a digital cmera, and had enough left to make a pair of those 'eclipse glasses'
Instructions how to make your own filter from the material is included in the packaging - it is VERY easy.

Here's a pic of one of my homemade binoc filters, and my 9yo nephew using the binocs with filters fitted.
(according to instructions, 'waves' in the surface of the filter material doesn't degrade the image, so long as you don't get any fold-type creases)



There's also a new material out called 'Thousand Oaks R-G' which is claimed to be as good as the Baader, although I've not tried it myself yet, so can't comment.
Baader gives white image, cost £15 a aheet
R-G gives a yellow-ish image, cost about £25 a sheet