First step in building a spectroheliograph - first prototype

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Cschur
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First step in building a spectroheliograph - first prototype

Post by Cschur »

Greetings all,

For the past year, I have been trying to build an astronomical spectrograph that would be used for solar images at various wavebands, and some comet work with our 12 inch. The first two attempts to build a f/4 Littrow design failed because of the severe coma from the internal f/4 lens. The new and third design is the classic Y shaped on axis type, and produces - as of yesterday for the first time - exquisitte images. I must thank Ken Harrison for all his patience with me on this project, it has been a rocky road from the start. My first attempt at a solar spectrum is with no lids, no black piant inside, and no baffleing. It will only get better from here!

The spectrograph looks like this seen here on the bench. everything inside is bolted down, carfully laser collimated, and first with a low dispersion 300 lpmm grating. This produces a spectrum that takes about three shots with the DMK51 to get the whole thing. I have also bought 600 and 1200 lpmm gratings and they fit right in. Those are for later.
spectrograph3-1024.jpg
spectrograph3-1024.jpg (59.9 KiB) Viewed 3496 times
And here is two shots - with the middle missing unfortunately of a spectrum I shot yesterday. the top is from wikipiedia and shows the location of several fraunhofer lines. The C line is Halpha, H and K are Calcium. Just under it and stretched to the same scale is my two shots with the DMK51 showing the actual images. Just below it they are crudely colorized. and the table of wavelengths is at the bottom.
FraunhoferFcomp2-1290.jpg
FraunhoferFcomp2-1290.jpg (149.56 KiB) Viewed 3496 times
This is just a start! I have never build a spectroheliograph before. THe slit is 1cm tall, and the beam from my 80mm Ziess apo will be about 5mm so it will fit. Next I have to seal the box, and add a screw adjust for the wave length. Well see how it goes!

Chris


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by Merlin66 »

Chris,
It's good to see your first light results!
You're certainly getting there.
I'd recommend a narrower slit gap and tweaking the focus.
Onwards and Upwards.


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Chris

congratulations on the first light :bow At first glance it looks so easy but I guess the devil is in the Details- Good luck in moving on


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by Montana »

Wow! well done Chris :bow and a super couple of spectrums too :band2

Alexandra


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by Cschur »

Thanks for the support! Very difficult project for me, I have built many visual spectrographs but never a photographic one. Ken, despite my previous failures, I am not giving up on this! Its just too important for scanning filters and solar heliography.

Walter - No, it is not easy! Everything MUST be preciesly laser collimated as you build it, and be spot on.

Alexandra - It will be fun to play with some solar images that are not the typical wavelengths.

Chris


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by solarchat »

The LHIRES II that I use provides similar images and I can tell for sure that when you black it all out, it will look really good. These images look just like the ones I get when I have the side doors off the Shelyak for focusing. When it is closed off, the color will be much deeper and more contrasty. Incidentally, the horizontal lines seen in these images look exactly like the ones I get in either the 5 hand held Shelyaks or the LHIRES III when there is a piece of foreign matter (usually kid droppings, as I pass them around at every school) on the slit.

good work and I look forward to the end result.

Ken inspired me a lot too. When you fully understand what you are looking at in these solar spectral lines, even without making the drift images, I have found that my mind gets warped and twisted into a new realm of understanding of light and its fantastical qualities.. It really is mind blowing how much data is available from these devices...

Trying to get students to understand it is a little more difficult, and trying to get Georgia teachers to understand it is , alas, impossible.


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by pedro »

Very interesting stuff Chris

Keep us posted. Sprectroscopy for me is a kind of "black art" ;)

Pedro


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by Merlin66 »

It's been called "White man's majic"
There's now almost 700 members on the astronomical spectroscopy group and I know of at least three other DIY spectroscopes in progress. The new Spectra-L200 instrument should be available soon.
http://www.jtwastronomy.com/products/sp ... ymain.html

The amateur interest in spectroscopy continues to grow every day.


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by pedro »

Hi Ken:

I have read your book Ken. I agree that there is lots of interest in the amateur community.

It is the final frontier (Onwards and Upwards).

Pedro


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by MapleRidge »

Hi Chris...

Impressive assembly of your spectroscope, and equally impressive first light :bow

Excellent work!

Brian


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by alex »

It's impressive Chris!

Let us know how it goes :)


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by Cschur »

Ill post updates weekly here, I cant wait to put in the 1200 grating and start some solar drift scans!

(Sorry Ken, no stellar spectroscopy for now...)

Chris


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by Nick »

Awesome work. I'll admit I'm slightly jelious of your progress :D

Producing an alignable mechanism that will support long 300mm lenses is my bane atm..

Can wait to see the first drift shots :D


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by Sunwatcher »

Yes, that is awesome. Been following this thread for a while and the book will be here Saturday. Thanks for posting about this very interesting project!


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Re: First step in building a spectroheliograph - first proto

Post by marktownley »

Top stuff Chris! I look forward to seeing how it all develops...


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