Owning an appropriate telescope is pretty important to solar photography - though there are filters that permit the direct usage of a camera, even a small crack can lead to the sensors breaking. These 'appropriate telescopes' come in all shapes and sizes - from the industry-grade, national observatory questions to the pocket-sized travel telescopes, the technology for the telescope has progressed to the point where the hobby of astronomy is a genuine possibility for many. One thing that each telescope has in common, however, is the narrow-bandpass filter that prevents the sun from damaging your eyes. Usually a Hydrogen-Alpha filter, the telescope makes the sun appear gray - the colourful orange mosaics of [[The Prelude - Convection and Conduction (Thermodynamics)#Convection|convection currents]] you see on websites is typically the result of false colour applications. Some die-hard sun fans also like to use the Calcium-K filter to better map the solar flares of the sun, providing pictures of a deep blue sun. There are a couple great scopes out there. Below are some example telescopes that are pretty popular in amateur circles at the moment. # A Smart Telescope - The ZWO SeeStar S50 *The most affordable smart telescope as of 2024!* ![[Pasted image 20240512151019.png]] <figcaption style="text-align:center">Credit: ZWOAstro</figcaption> (harmonic drive) ZWO's entry to the burgeoning [[Telescope Types (Personal)#The Smart Telescope|smart telescope]] market provides unparalleled services for its price. The best model costing a paltry $499 (in astrophotography terms), the Seestar S50 comes complete with a solar filter, an automated equatorial mount (link), duo-band filters for [[Deep Field Photography - A Starter's Guide|deep sky]] and an ASI series camera whilst only weighing 2.5 kilograms, perfect for travelling abroad to deep-sky sites. It is to note, however, that the SeeStar's capabilities do not permit the viewing of convection currents on the sun's surface, unlike other, more powerful solar telescopes. ![[Pasted image 20240512151226.png]] <figcaption style="text-align:center">Credit: ZWOAstro</figcaption> Storefront: https://www.zwoastro.com/product/seestar-s50/ # The Pocket-Sized Telescope - The Lunt 40