Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that we are only weeks away from the 2012 Transit of Venus (Wednesday 6 June 2012 in Australian time). I have just finished together a French made Solarscope which allows you to observe the Sun safely using the projection method.
The clever optical design uses a small convex mirror to magnify the disc of the Sun. I could easily see three large sunspots stretching across the face of the Sun. It is the first time I have used a Solarscope and I am very impressed by the quality of the image. With my teacher hat on, I also like the fact that I will be able to show the Transit of Venus safely to my students without having to worry about eye damage.
I have put a video on Youtube about how to watch the Venus Transit safely using indirect viewing techniques.
Hi, Any idea where I can buy one of these in Australia before the 6th June????
THanks
Stuart,
Not off hand. They are made in France which means if you ordered one and paid express post, you may get it in time. You can expect that it would cost around the $180 mark by the time you received it.
The other alternative is to buy a cheap telescope and set it up for solar projection. I have a Youtube video here about how to do that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVi6rHQ-RLg
Regards,
Paul Floyd.
http://www.nightskyonline.info
Thanks Paul, I am amazed that a chain like Dick Smiths are selling something similar given the significance of the event. Just about every parent in Australia would be buying one for their kids! And every class room needs at least 1. It is beyond belief that nobody in Australia is selling them.
I think my best option is as you suggested, go and buy a cheap telescope and follow your instruction. Just have to be really careful that one of the kids dont look into it.
Stuart,
Make sure that you don’t leave the telescope unattended. I have heard a few horror stories about children taking a quick look at the Sun before their parent could respond. And yes, it would have been good if a major chain of shops had been selling solar telescopes in the lead up to the transit. If you live in Eastern Australia, you will be experiencing a partial or total solar eclipse later this year for which a solar scope can also be used.
Regards,
Paul Floyd.