Scientists will often tell you that now is the most exciting time for a particular interest. We will always have just discovered or invented something that will ¿revolutionize¿ something or the other. The computer on which I am typing this, for example, is four times faster than its predecessor and slightly cheaper. However, the last decade or so has seen some advances that have changed the face of amateur solar astronomy. Professional researchers have been using many of the tools and techniques for years but now they are available to amateurs as well. The use of digital photography and computers has changed all astronomy, not just amateur solar astronomy, and it has certainly made a lot more techniques available for photographing the Sun. Secondly, the use of ¿white light¿ solar filters has improved the detail that can be seen on the solar surface. In the past, the only technique that was available was projection onto a piece of white paper or card. Thirdly, the use of hydrogen alpha filters has recently hit the ¿affordability barrier¿ of $500 or £500 for many amateur astronomers. The Coronado Personal Solar Telescope (PST) is a real breakthrough product that has now brought a fascinating branch of astronomy within the reach of many people. In recent months, the same technique has been applied to calcium K filters.

The Sun provides amateur astronomers with one of the few opportunities for daytime observation. Observing the major features of our nearest star requires the use of special telescopes that have a very narrow visible bandwidth, as narrow as 1 × 10-10 m (1 Angstrom) and centered on the absorption line of neutral hydrogen. This makes visible many major features of the Sun's chromosphere. Such narrow-band filters were too expensive for amateur use until the introduction of the Coronado range of solar telescopes. The entry-level Coronado telescope, the PST (Personal Solar Telescope) costs under $500. In this book, a team of contributors show just how much solar observation work can be accomplished with Coronado telescopes, and explain how to get the best from these marvellous instruments. The book shows that Solar prominences, filaments, flares, sunspots, plage and active regions are all visible and can be imaged to produce spectacular solar photographs.

Personal Solar Telescope.- MaxScope 90.- Other Coronado Solar Telescopes.- Imaging.- Alternative Products.- Untried Products.- Summary.- The Physics of the Sun.- Coronado Price List.