The Spectrohelioscope Network

Managed by Fredrick Veio and Chris Westland

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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

An Update on FreLatest 'Large' S

Fred's comments on Zeeman lines

Fred's CD .ZIPped format (to unzipysics)

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)

Here is some useful information about the Human Eye and SHS design

Zeeman lines

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 Plans forspectroscope
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)

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 spectroscope

Pictures and Documentation on

Freds large spectrometer pictures taken by Paul Kobetz 2004

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 SHS

Sources for Parts and Materials

Important note:

Fredrick Veio's warnings on purchased gratings Selecting Optics for a Solar Spectroscope Surplus Shed for the serious hobbyist or experimenter to browse around China Daheng Corp. is an inexpensive source for gratings and other optics Sterling Resale Optics for the serious hobbyist or experimenter to browse around BSC Optics for the serious hobbyist or experimenter to browse around Apogee Optics for the serious hobbyist or experimenter to browse around CVI quality laser optics Edmund Scientific for the serious hobbyist or experimenter to browse around Melles Griot laser optics New Focus components and research quality optics Newport Corporation for the serious hobbyist or experimenter to browse around Oriel A great source for filters and specialized optics ThorLabs 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 1030
Woodstock, 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

Rogerio Marcon of Brazil

Westland's old site

The Yerkes Observatory Spectrohelioscope

The National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak

The 150-Foot Solar Tower at Mt. Wilson Observatory

SOHO (by NASA)

Solar Physics (by NASA)