Since 1970, Fred Veio has assisted many amateurs to build a spectrohelioscope (SHS) -- an instrument that allows you to image the sun in a very narrow band of color. His design is portable, compact, low cost, and was published in the January 1969 issue of Sky and Telescope. His book on SHS (which can be downloaded from this page) appeared in 1972, followed by three more editions. A self made SHS will cost about $600. If an optical company makes the optics, total costs will be about $2000, including the grating. A professional SHS with long focal length optics, intricate machine shop parts, about $15,000.00.
What's New on the Spectrohelioscope Network?... and more that will help you make high-quality slits (click a letter) A B C D E
Fred's comments on Zeeman lines
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BuyRightAuctions: great source for discount gratings, monochrometers (email: buyright@mgboston.co) |
Here's what you can see with a Spectrohelioscope
Solar Features (courtesy of NASA)
The Sun's Fraunhofer Lines
Here is some useful information about the Human Eye and SHS design
The Spectrohelioscope in Brief
Click here to see an annotated gallery of spectrohelioscopes constructed by amateurs from around the world
Click here to see solar images from spectrohelioscopes constructed by amateurs from around the world
Click here to see several coelostat designs by Fred Veio and others on this site
Professional Equipment and Photos
Click here to see some solar images by professionals
A Spectrohelioscope Timeline
Click here to see highlights from the Spectroheliscope Forum
Spectrohelioscope Theory and Design
Hale at the Yerke's Spectrohelioscope
Fredrick Veio's
119 page Book "The
Spectrohelioscope" in Adobe Acrobat
.PDF 
31 May 2002 Update Pages for "The Spectrohelioscope" (be sure to add these to your copy!)
Fredrick Veio's article "Spectrohelioscope Designs" in PDF (or in plain text or in MS-Word format)
(these are Fred's quick notes on building a spectrohelioscope; very useful if you are not yet ready to read his 119 page book)
David Lyon's synopsis "Solar Spectroscopy" in PDF (or in MS-Word format)
Michael Hill's "Dual Grating Prominence Telescope" in PDF (or in MS-Word format)
Walter J. Semerau's "Spectroheliograph" in PDF (SciAm Amateur Scientist c. 1958 and thanks to Norm Anheier)
Gene F. Frazier's "Spectrohelioscope" in PDF (SciAm Amateur Scientist c. 1974 and thanks to Norm Anheier)
A novel idea for a ceolostat in PDF
HyperPhysics on the Theory of Diffraction Gratings
RGL's "Determination of the Blaze Wavelength" in PDF (or in MS-Word format)
Christopher Palmer's 143 page Diffraction Grating Handbook (HTML)
On Coronagraphs
Standard Designs for Synthesizers
Fred Veio writes about Selecting Optics for a Solar Spectroscope
A bare bones solar spectrograph
Fred's notes on Visual Acuity and Factors to Consider in an SHS
Fred's notes on Solar magnetic fields
Fred's notes on the visual brightness of the solar disk in an SHS
The
Ondrojev Observatory multi-wavelength spectroscopePictures and Documentation on
PlanetMan's Spectrohelioscope (with continuing updates and commentary)Fred's notes on Petit Prisms
G. Hale's Spectrohelioscope Design Fred's notes on Visual Acuity and SHS Design (and look here as well)
Articles describing alternative image synthesizer designs:
George Haig's article "
Some alternative spectrohelioscope designs" in PDF (c. 1998 and thanks to David Groski)Brian Manning's article "
A new spectrohelioscope" in PDF (c. 1982 and thanks to David Groski)Edison Petit's article "
An optical improvement in the spectrohelioscope" in PDF (c. 1939 and thanks to David Groski)H.R. Hatfield on the "SevenOaks Spectrohelioscope -
part 1 (1988) and part 2 (1994)" in PDF (thanks to David Groski) Fred Veio's article on "Rebuilding the 60mm Spectrohelioscope" in PDF (c. 1983) David Groski's Solar Prominance Scope Phil Rousselle's SHS (Wow!)New material from
Ivan Glitsch, Wallisellen Switzerland; Klass Honders, The Netherlands Brian Manning's SHSSources for Parts and Materials
Important note:
Fredrick Veio's warnings on purchased gratingsMelles Griot laser optics
New Focus components and research quality optics
Richardson Grating Labs (now called ThermoRGL)
Diffracton Products, Inc;
Dr. Edward Leibhardt, President, 9416 West Bull Vally Rd.,P.O. Box 1030Woodstock, IL 60098, USA; Phone: (815)338-6768; Fax: (815)338-7167
Jobin-Yvon, gratings and equipment
Daystar Filters (Amateur H-alpha, etc. filters)
Coronado Filters (H-alpha, etc.; I personally prefer the Daystar)
Lumicon prominence filters
Thousand Oaks Prominence Filters
Zeiss Solar Instruments
Links
The Yahoo! Spectrohelioscope Forum (This is the main discussion forum used by Fred Veio, David Groski, David Lyon and other contributors to this site) Leonard Higgins Spectrohelioscope NASA's Solar Data Analysis Center (current events and news on the Sun) Franky DuBois' Sun Page Andre Rondi's Coronascope Sirius Observatory Spectrohelioscope
Medieval Solar Astronomy
Indian
Medieval Solar AstronomyChinese
Medieval Solar Astronomy
Links added by Mike Rushford
solar spectrumwpo - a reflective spectroscopic slit & its application
POLARIZATION ANALYSIS
solar corona Polarization observation
Solar Type spectrum
Solar rotation doppler shift
Sun Spot spectra
Spectrohelioscope
Spectrometer calibration
LHIRES III IN SPECTROHELIOGRAPH MODE
Long slit Intermediate resolution Spectrograph for Astronomy
The SpectroHelioScope by Leonard Higgins and Fred Veio
Filter of Lyot.
Light and polarization.
Solar spectrum Atlas
Blue to green visible spectrum image
Green to Red visible spectrum
Blue to Red visible spectrum
Weird Telescopes
Chris Westland's Incomplete SHS projects
Zeeman Effect
Optical Aperture's/Components
THE COLLIMATION
Coronagraphs
El Cheapo Tooling for Curve Generating
EYEPIECES - DISTORTION
WHAT IS A MTF CURVE ?
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF OBSTRUCTION ?
DOES THE OBSTRUCTION HAVE LESS EFFECTS IN CCD THAN IN VISUAL ?
THE SPECTROHELIOSCOPE