Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics: Solar safety

July 2009: Repeat Galileo's observations of the Sun, but be sure to protect your eyes and eyepieces.

Contributed by Glenn Chaple

Published: May 26, 2009

Galileo sketched sunspots (such as this one from June 29, 1613) by projecting the Sun’s image through a telescope onto a white card. He used these observations to prove the Sun was not a perfect heavenly body. Today, solar projection remains a common way to examine our star.

Photo by Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology

When I was growing up, my mother admonished me to follow three guidelines of good health: Eat my vegetables, get plenty of sleep, and never, ever look directly at the Sun with my telescope! OK, I made that up, but we astronomers need to take good care of those essential observing tools — our eyes. And eye safety is especially important when it comes to solar observing.

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	Mercury	Mercury	Venus	Venus
RISE	—		—
SET	—		—
		—		—