Can any telescope, such as a 8" reflector, that is normally used at night to look at planets be used or adapted for solar observing?
What kind of adapters or filters are required or is it better to get a dedicated solar telescope?
I'd like to look at sunspots, flares, prominences, eclipses, etc.
Best Answer
To view the Sun in white light, you need a dedicated solar filter. Several types are available, but the best are made from AstroSolar film made by Baader. This is a polymer (not Mylar) with extremely good optical properties, coated with metal to reflect 99.99% of the light hitting it. It blocks most of beamthe Sun's light and heat before it even enters the telescope. Filters made from Baader material are available in high quality cells from Kendrick. I have several Kendrick filters and they are excellent:
http://www.kendrickastro.com/astro/solarfilters.html
To see flares and prominences, you need a much more specialized filter which only passes hydrogen alpha light. These can be used in front of refractors, but most observers prefer a dedicated solar telescope like the Coronado PST (Personal Solar Telescope). I use one of these every clear day to view the Sun. Small flares and prominences are visible nearly every day.
Although I have used projection to view the Sun, I generally recommend against it for safety reasons. It puts all the concentrated energy of the Sun into the focal plane of the telescope, and can very easily damage or destroy eyepieces. The projection beam leaves the eyepiece in a very concentrated form, hot enough to ignite paper placed in its path. I simply feel much safer with a professionally made filter blocking the light and heat before it enters the telescope.