Astroblog: Okay, so How do I Point My Telescope at the Sun for the Transit of Venus

Okay, so How do I Point My Telescope at the Sun for the Transit of Venus


So, you have set up your scope with a solar filter (or you are using a projection system) and you ask yourself " how the heck do I actually point the scope at the Sun"? Obviously you cannot look through the viewfinder (I have mine set up with the lens cap to the view finder taped on, so it can't accidental fall off). So how do you do it (and keep your eyesight)?	My Solar filter and the adaptor to attach a digital camera to a standard scope using eye piece projection. You will have to set the camera focus to infinity. You can get both filters and adaptors at all good optical stores.

Simple, you use the Telescopes shadow. Firstly roughly align the scope up. The shadow will be not quite circular.	Then adjust the shadow of the scope so it is the minimum size. With the lowest power lens in your scope, the Sun should be more or less in view. You may need a little more fiddling to get it, but the shadow will get you most of the way.
	Some nice sunspots captured using infinity/infinity eyepiece projection with my Canon IXUS clamped to the scope (and some slight zoom to get the Suns' image bigger).